USDA Files Action Against Penny Tsigaris, Doing Business as Manavi Produce in New York for PACA Violations

USDA/AMS Press Release:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has filed an administrative action under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) against Penny Tsigaris, doing business as Manavi Produce (Tsigaris dba Manavi).

Tsigaris dba Manavi, operating out of New York, allegedly failed to make full payment to three produce sellers in the amount of $385,021 from February 2015 through January 2016.

Tsigaris dba Manavi will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that Tsigaris dba Manavi committed repeated and flagrant violations, Tsigaris dba Manavi would be barred from the produce industry for two years. Furthermore, Penny Tsigaris, the individual, could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for one year and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.

The PACA Division, which is part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), 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.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 claims PACA claims involving more than $58 million. Our experts also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $140 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

For further information, contact Josephine E. Jenkins, Chief, Investigative Enforcement Branch, at (202) 720-6873, or by email at PACAInvestigations@ams.usda.gov.

Contact Info: Nadine Wilkins, nadine.wilkins@ams.usda.gov, 202-720-8998

Release No.: 035-17

For more PACA violations reported by Blue Book Services: #PACAViolations