USDA Restricts PACA Violators in Florida, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Texas from Operating in the Produce Industry

Date
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 - 7:45am

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2025– The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and for failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

•    National Produce and Farm Products LLC, operating out of Brooksville, Fla., for failing to pay a $53,285 award in favor of an Idaho seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Timothy Plumadore was listed as the manager of the business.  

•    Tropifresh Corp., operating out of Miami, Fla., for failing to pay a $17,258 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Yasmin Molina was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.

•    MingsBings, Inc., operating out of Natick, Mass., for failing to pay a $7,556 award in favor of a New Jersey seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Ming Tsai was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.

•    Del Valle Fresh Inc., operating out of Roebuck, S.C., for failing to pay a $27,397 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Esmeralda Sandoval was listed as the officer, director and stockholder of the business.

•    Texas Green Star LLC, operating out of Sanger, Texas., for failing to pay a $59,312 award in favor of a Texas. seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Curtis Blagburn, Cesaer Rodriguez and Giraldie Aguilar were listed as managers/members of the business.

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order 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 suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed 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.

By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.

For more information, contact Penny Robinson-Landrigan, Chief, Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890 or PACAdispute@usda.gov.

The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.