AMS No. 286-12

Nadine Wilkins (202) 720-8998

nadine.wilkins@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that Barenbrug USA, Tangent, Ore., has paid $5,200 to settle alleged violations of the Federal Seed Act.

This settlement resolves three cases that involved one shipment of a grass seed mixture to Kentucky, one grass seed mixture to Missouri, and one annual ryegrass shipment to Texas. The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were as follows:

-false labeling as to pure seed and weed seed;

-false labeling as to the presence of noxious-weed seed “undesirable grass seed”;

-false labeling as to germination rate;

-false labeling as to date of test;

-false labeling as to correct kind name; and

-failure to keep or supply complete records of the seed, as required by the act.

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

AMS administers the Federal Seed Act with the assistance of state seed officials. The investigations were completed through the joint efforts of AMS and seed regulatory officials in Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas. The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.