Certification of Seed

V.S.A. tit. 6, ch. 35, subch. 1

in effect

6 V.S.A. § 611 Service for certification of seed; standards and rules

611. Service for certification of seed; standards and rules (a) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall establish and make available to the people of the State a service for the inspection of fields of potatoes for the purpose of certifying the product thereof for seed purposes. The Secretary shall have authority to establish certification standards that shall specify the maximum percentages of diseases and other defects that will be permitted in fields the product of which is certified for seed. The Secretary shall also have authority to adopt rules regarding the growing, roguing, grading, and shipping of certified seed potatoes and the conditions under which the service shall be available and a certificate granted. (b) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets may also make available to the people of the State a service for the certification of seed grains, grass crops, legumes, and vegetables. (c) This chapter requires the identification of seeds that have been genetically engineered. The purpose of such identification is to help avoid adverse effects on the potential benefits of genetic engineering technologies and on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity through the use of such seeds. Amended 1999, No. 49, § 109; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2003, No. 97 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; 2015, No. 23, § 72.

6 V.S.A. § 613 Assistants

613. Assistants The Secretary shall employ assistants to enable the Secretary to make inspections of potato or other fields enrolled under the rules referred to. Amended 1999, No. 49, § 110; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 80, eff. July 1, 2022.

6 V.S.A. § 614 Certificates; tags for containers; shipping inspectors

614. Certificates; tags for containers; shipping inspectors When the inspections are completed, the Secretary shall issue to growers whose fields qualify for certification under the adopted standards and rules a certificate showing the percentage of objectionable diseases found at the time of each inspection and any other information deemed necessary. This certificate shall also contain the standards and rules in accordance with which it is issued and shall be signed by the Secretary and the inspectors who made the inspections. At the expense of the owner, the Secretary may issue appropriate tags for use on containers in which certified seed is packed. The Secretary may appoint such persons as he or she deems necessary to serve as shipping inspectors of certified seed potatoes or other certified seeds. Amended 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 81, eff. July 1, 2022.

6 V.S.A. § 615 Shipping inspection

615. Shipping inspection The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall have authority to set up shipping inspection as a part of the certification service. Amended 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003.

6 V.S.A. § 616 Fees

616. Fees (a) The Secretary shall have authority to assess growers who apply for the certification privilege a fee per acre, to be paid in one or more installments. (b) Growers shall be assessed $35.00 for the first five acres inclusive. Over five acres shall be assessed $35.00 plus $3.00 per acre over five acres. (c) Payment for certification shall be based upon the following schedule: (1) The application for certification shall be accompanied by 60 percent of the certification fee. The balance, or 40 percent of the certification fee, shall be payable not later than 90 days after the bill is rendered. Certification shall be withheld until all fees have been paid. (2) The balance, 40 percent, of the certification shall be waived if the field is rejected upon field inspection or if no crop is harvested for reasons beyond the grower’s control. Amended 1999, No. 49, § 111; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2015, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 82, eff. July 1, 2022.

6 V.S.A. § 617 Denial of use of certification service

617. Denial of use of certification service The Secretary shall also have authority to deny further use of the certification service to a person who, in the Secretary’s judgment, has violated the provisions of this subchapter relating to certification of seeds and seed potatoes or rules adopted in accordance therewith. Failure upon the part of a grower or shipper of certified seed potatoes or of potatoes enrolled for certification or of other certified seeds to pay for inspections may be considered as a violation within the meaning of this section. Amended 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 83, eff. July 1, 2022.

6 V.S.A. § 618 Penalty

618. Penalty A person who by himself or herself or his or her agent uses a certificate, issued by the Secretary, for the purpose of fraudulently selling potatoes or seeds that in fact are not qualified for sale under such certificate or who knowingly uses a certification tag, issued by the Secretary, on a package the contents of which have not been passed for certification under the provisions of this subchapter shall be fined not more than $200.00 for each offense. Amended 1999, No. 49, § 112; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/06/035Fetched: 10/21/2026