WASHINGTON, May 12, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced that Gayland Ward Seed Company Inc., a seed company operating out of Hereford, Texas, has paid $2,800 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 seven cases, which involved one shipment of sorghum-sudangrass seeds to Georgia and seven lots of wheat seeds sold or offered for sale in Texas. The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were:
- false labeling of pure seed and other crop seed percentages; and-selling non-certified seed of varieties protected under the Plant Variety Protection Act requiring certification.
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 Georgia and Texas. The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.
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