Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reached a consent decision and order on Feb. 5, 2021, against Musa Slaughterhouse LLC and Musa S. Simreen (Musa), Tampa, Fla., and Yonkers, N.Y., for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act.
An investigation by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) revealed that Musa failed to pay $47,024 of the $70,139 in total livestock purchases in March of 2016.
Under the consent decision and order, Musa is ordered to cease and desist from failing to pay the full purchase price of livestock for any future livestock purchases and assessed a $52,025 civil penalty. The civil penalty, however, will be reducible dollar-for-dollar by restitution made by Musa to their unpaid livestock supplier.
The P&S Act requires subject entities to issue the full payment for livestock by the close of the first business day following purchase and transfer of possession. Failure to timely pay for livestock purchases and failure to issue the full payment for purchases is an unfair trade practice and a violation of the P&S Act.
The P&S Act is a fair trade practice and payment protection law that promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.
For further information about the Packers and Stockyards Act, contact Jeana Harbison, Packers and Stockyards Division, at (202) 720-7051, or by email at Jeana.M.Harbison@usda.gov.
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