WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined that Luis Garcia was not a responsibly connected member of MRP Cuts LLC, McAllen, Texas.

According to a press release, MRP Cuts LLC violated the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) by failing to pay two reparation awards totaling $38,155 in April and September 2017, respectively. The USDA made an initial determination that Luis Garcia was a responsibly connected member of the company. Luis Garcia disputed the initial determination and the USDA subsequently determined that Luis Garcia had separated from MRP Cuts LLC before the first reparation award was issued. Luis Garcia may be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in a reparation order being issued that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to impose sanctions on a business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.

Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named responsibly connected individuals. 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.

The PACA Division, which is part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service