USDA Lifts PACA Reparation Sanctions on California Produce Business
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Kelly Brothers Inc., satisfied a reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
The Exeter, CA, company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license, according to a recent USDA press release. Christopher J. Kelly was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, the USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. The USDA also requires any unlicensed company that fully satisfies all unpaid reparation awards to obtain a license if it continues to operate in the industry.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 3,700 PACA claims involving more than $66 million. Its experts also assisted more than 7,100 callers with issues valued at approximately $100 million. These are just two examples of how the USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
