Washington, DC, USA
November 15, 2010

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced that Ferry-Morse Seed Company, a company operating out of Fulton, Kentucky , has paid $1,925 to settle alleged violations of the Federal Seed Act. The company settled the case in agreement with AMS officials. The company neither admitted nor denied the charges brought against them.

This settlement resolves three cases that involved two shipments of lettuce seed to Indiana and one shipment of carrot seed to North Carolina. The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were as follows:

• false labeling as to variety name;
• false labeling as to the germination percentage;
• failure to test for germination within 5 months, prior to interstate shipment; and
• failure to keep or supply complete records of seed shipped in interstate commerce.

AMS administers the Federal Seed Act with the assistance of state seed officials. The investigation was completed through the joint efforts of AMS and seed regulatory officials in Indiana. The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.

Website: http://www.ams.usda.gov

Published: November 15, 2010