Washington, DC
March 28, 2006

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that a Norton, Massachussets, seed company has paid USDA $1,375 to settle alleged violations of the Federal Seed Act. 

The company, Plantation Products, 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 nine shipments consisting of cauliflower, lettuce, and onion seed alleged to be in violation of the Federal Seed Act; there was one shipment each to Minnesota, Nebraska, and Texas, and six shipments to Indiana. 

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

• false labeling as to variety name;

• false labeling as to germination standard;

• failure to test for germination prior to interstate shipment; 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 Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Texas 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.