The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

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

• LMS Distributors LLC, operating out of Los Angeles, for failing to pay a $103,969 award in favor of an Arizona seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Silvia Zuazo and Miriam Marquez were listed as the members of

Wakefern Food Corp. successfully hosted its 2024 Wakefern Showcase Sept. 18 and 19 at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center in Edison, NJ. Bigger and better than ever, the event provided a valuable opportunity for Wakefern members and more than 2,500 retail associates to explore nearly 300 vendor partners and the extensive range of services and innovative solutions the cooperative offers its members and wholesale customers.

The Showcase featured a diverse lineup of seminars, guest speakers and interactive booths, highlighting key areas such as produce, meat, bakery, seafood and retail

The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on American Fruit & Produce Corp. in Miami for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include barring the business and the principal operators of the business from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.

American Fruit & Produce Corp. failed to pay $1.03 million to 18 sellers for produce that was purchased, received and accepted in interstate and foreign commerce from March 2018 to October 2022. This is in violation of the PACA. American Fruit & Produce Corp. cannot

Mission Produce Inc. recently held its 12th annual golf tournament to raise funds for The Mission Foundation. This year’s event took place at the Moorpark Country Club in Moorpark, CA, and brought together 160 participants from around the globe to raise more than $100,000.

"The continued success of our annual tournament is a testament to the shared commitment of our vendors, customers and partners to make a meaningful impact on our surrounding communities,” said Steve Barnard, CEO of Mission Produce. “Their generous support of The Mission Foundation enables us to drive positive change, and we

Mountain King Potatoes has been purchased by EarthFresh Farms, effective Sept. 25.

Established in 1963, EarthFresh is a North American produce company that specializes in potatoes, carrots and onions. With the completion of this transaction, EarthFresh now has nine state-of-the-art packing facilities in Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Ontario and Prince Edward Island.

“We believe that there are great synergies between our two companies that include exclusive varietal potatoes, innovative packaging and products, expanded organic offerings, customer analytics and an expanded supply of fresh potatoes

In the Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Helene will continue to intensify in the warm gulf waters as it heads toward the Florida panhandle. Water temperatures in the mid to upper 80s in the gulf will help fuel this system before making landfall late Thursday. 

Conditions in the gulf are conducive to the rapid intensification of this system over the next 24 hours. Forecasts expect Helene to become a large, major hurricane as it heads toward the Big Bend region of Florida. This will bring very strong winds and heavy perception to northern Florida and southern Georgia. Rainfall amounts are expected to