WASHINGTON, July 20, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that Johnston Seed Company Inc., Ashburn, Ga., has paid $3,150 to settle alleged violations of the Federal Seed Act.
This settlement resolves five cases that involved one shipment of alyceclover seed and three shipments of browntop millet seed to Alabama and one shipment of browntop millet seed to Florida. The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were as follows:
- false labeling as to the percentages of pure seed and inert matter;- false labeling as to percentage of germination;- 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 Alabama and Florida. The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.
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