WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 - Danny Van Wyk (Van Wyk) of Otley, Iowa, paid a $2,500 civil penalty for not filing, on time, a required annual report with the Packers and Stockyards Program (P&SP) of USDA.

All meat packers, live poultry dealers, market agencies and livestock dealers operating under the jurisdiction of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 are required by federal regulation to file reports annually. Van Wyk is registered with the Secretary of Agriculture to operate as a livestock dealer. His 2006 annual report, which was due on April 15, 2007, was not filed until August 3, 2007.

"We take the annual report requirement very seriously," said James E. Link, Administrator of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), who oversees P&SP. "These reports provide critical information that we use to ensure farmers and ranchers are financially protected when they sell their livestock."

Penalties for not filing the GIPSA annual report are set by law at $110 per day for every day the report is late.

Van Wyk paid the $2,500 penalty on June 30, 2008 to The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa, which handled the case on behalf of USDA.

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.

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Catherine M. Grasso 202-720-7201