Washington, DC, USA
March 7, 2014

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that Missouri Southern Seed Corporation, Rolla, Mo., has paid $875 to settle alleged violations of the Federal Seed Act.

This settlement resolves two cases that involve one shipment of Fescue/Orchardgrass to Arkansas and one shipment of Korean lespedeza seed to Kentucky. The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments were:

• -false labeling as to noxious-weed;
• -false labeling as to germination percentage; and
• -false labeling as to “kind” and “variety.”

The company settled the case in agreement with AMS officials. The company neither admitted nor denied the charges brought against them.

The Federal Seed Act regulates the interstate shipment of agricultural and vegetable seeds to ensure that seed shipped in interstate commerce is truthfully labeled, and that advertisements about the seed are truthful. This allows seed buyers to make informed choices and promotes fair competition within the seed trade. AMS administers the Federal Seed Act by leveraging its resources with State departments of agriculture. These investigations were a result of joint efforts with seed regulatory officials in Arkansas and Kentucky. By working collaboratively with State partners, the Federal Seed Act also helps promote uniformity among State laws and fair competition within the seed trade.

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

Published: March 7, 2014