Nadine Wilkins (202)720-8998Nadine.wilkins@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that Plantation Products Inc., a seed company operating out of Norton, Mass., has paid $1,950 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 four cases that involved multiple shipments–one shipment of onion to Utah and two shipments of lettuce to Indiana. The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were as follows:
-false labeling as to germination rate; and-false labeling as to kind.
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 and Utah. The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.
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