The USDA has announced structural changes to its Agricultural Marketing Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service programs. Among the most notable: oversight of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act is shifting to the Specialty Crops Program within AMS.
PACA is the federal law that governs payment and fair dealing across the fresh produce trade — it's the backbone of trust in buyer-seller relationships throughout the industry. Moving its oversight to a different program office raises practical questions about staffing, enforcement priorities, and responsiveness during disputes.
Producers, shippers, and buyers who rely on PACA protections should monitor how this transition affects day-to-day enforcement and complaint processing — any disruption to PACA oversight has real implications for payment disputes and credit risk across the supply chain.