The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that a Slocomb, Alabama, seed company has paid USDA $1,625 to settle alleged violations of the Federal Seed Act. 

The company, Segrest Feed and Seed Company, Inc., settled the case in agreement with officials from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.  The company neither admitted nor denied the charges.

The case resolved by the settlement involved three shipments consisting of pearl millet, buck’s choice mix, and sportsman special plot mix seed alleged to be in violation of the Federal Seed Act; there were three shipments to Georgia. 

The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were:

• false labeling as to germination;

• false labeling as to noxious-weed seed;

• false labeling as to variety names;

• failure to label the name and address of the shipper; and

• failure to keep and/or supply a complete record of the seed.

AMS administers the act with the help of state seed officials.  Seed regulatory officials in Georgia cooperated with AMS in making the investigations.  The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.