Aug 9, 2019

Aug. 21 webinar to explain Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act 

Because some crops, such as fresh fruit, are highly perishable, laws such as the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, or PACA, are in place to protect producers from unfair business practices.

PACA was enacted in 1930 and sets rules for the marketing and selling of perishable agricultural commodities, which are policed by a system of licensing. Because of the vulnerability of these products, it’s important for both producers and buyers to understand PACA and the rules and penalties associated with it.

The National Agricultural Law Center is hosting a free webinar August 21 where attorney Steve McCarron will discuss PACA and its five major parts: licensing, prohibited conduct, the PACA trust, dispute resolution, and contract issues.

“Steve has a long history of working in the PACA area, and his presentation will be very helpful to producers and buyers of perishable commodities, as well as others who want to learn more about how PACA works in the fruit and vegetable industries,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center.

McCarron is an attorney at the law firm of McCarron & Diess, representing produce companies for many years. He is the author of the PACA Web Guide at www.mccarronlaw.com, which is a fully searchable and easy-to-understand description of the parts of PACA, with links to other PACA resources.

Those interested can register online at http://bit.ly/2K25XcI

 The National Agricultural Law Center is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

– Sarah Cato, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture