Prevent Seed Piracy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Prevent Seed Piracy

Resale of this seed or supplying of saved seed to anyone for planting is strictly prohibited. 

 

                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRAIT STEWARDSHIP CONSIDERATIONS

SEED COMPANY/DEALER POLICIES

 

Product market research confirms that growers listen to their seed dealers and retailers when it comes to stewardship.  Dealers can promote the importance of proper seed and trait stewardship by implementing a company policy on stewardship related issues and by clearly communicating that policy to their employees who manage seed and customer seed sales.

A.  PROPER COMPANY STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES include:

 

  1. ACTIVE DISSEMINATION OF SAVED SEED PROHIBITIONS:

         i.      Extend activities beyond simple reporting of saved seed problems and proactively remind users that saving seed is prohibited (seed production for Roundup Ready® Alfalfa is not allowed).  Messages to discourage saved seed can include not only the legal risks of enforcement actions, but also can include the performance value that new varieties bring over bin run seed as well as program eligibility that comes with new seed (e.g., Roundup Rewards and seed company replant protection

 

  1. GROWER SIGNED MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY/STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENTS:  Obtain original Grower Signatures on Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreements (MTSA) and educate growers for compliance with all Insect Resistance Management (IRM) and marketing requirements, including the proper submission of Grain Marketing Communication Plans and other seed use limitations. No seed containing patented traits should be sold to anyone who is not first properly licensed. Proper grower licensing includes:
    1. Present the MTSA to the grower and point out both the opportunities & benefits available under the Agreement as well as responsibilities.
    2. Obtain Grower’s signature and give the pink copy to the grower along with the Technology Use Guide for his/her files, return the Monsanto copy (white) to the address on the form and retain the dealer (yellow) copy in a dealer file in the Obtain original grower signatures on a new MTSA for any old MTSA that may not have been originally signed by the grower1. 
    3. Ensure that all sales of soybean, corn, cotton,  canola  and alfalfa seed containing any Roundup Ready®, YieldGard® or Bollgard® trait (including stacks), are sold only to growers who have signed an MTSA
    4. Regularly check the “Licensed Grower List” and the “Do Not License or Do Not Sell Monsanto Patented Traits” list posted on www.FarmSource.com .

 

  1. MARKET CHOICES® GUIDELINES

This is an industry initiative lead by the American Seed Trade Association for all traits not yet approved for import into the European Union.  Monsanto and other industry participants work closely with the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) to make growers and elevators aware of the need to steward traits not yet fully approved by the E.U. Information on traits currently registered to Monsanto and not yet fully approved by the E.U. is posted on www.corn-states.com under the “Status of Monsanto Commercial Traits in the European Union”.

 

  1. GRAIN STEWARDSHIP

These products bear the Market Choices® mark.  For 2007, all growers in the Required Areas (see map attached) that purchase corn seed containing YieldGard® Plus with Roundup Ready® Corn 2, YieldGard VT Rootworm/Roundup Ready 2 and YieldGard VT Triple must complete a Grain Marketing Communication Plan (GMCP) and submit it to Monsanto.   Grain Marketing Communication Plans are not contracts, but are an indication of grower’s grain handler intentions.   

 

Grandfathering Language

IMPORTANT: The following information is current as of  DATE  \@ "MMMM d, yyyy"  \* MERGEFORMAT September 26, 2007; YieldGard Plus, YieldGard Rootworm with Roundup     Ready Corn 2 and YieldGard Corn Borer with Roundup Ready Corn 2 are grandfathered for import and use in processed feed in the E.U.  YieldGard Plus with Roundup Ready Corn 2, YieldGard VT Rootworm/RR2 and YieldGard VT Triple are neither approved nor grandfathered and there is zero tolerance for these traits in processed feed imported in the E.U.  Growers of all products bearing the Market Choices mark must talk to their grain handler to confirm the handler’s buying position for grain from these products. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted.

 

 

  1. INSECT RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT
    1. To preserve the benefits and insect protection of these technology crops, Insect Resistance Management (IRM) must be part of long-term and short-term planning by the seed industry and growers alike.  Insect Resistance Management is a requirement when purchasing insect-protected crops.
    2. This requirement applies to the following Technology Crops: 

 

                                                             i.      YieldGard VT Rootworm/Roundup Ready 2

                                                            ii.      YieldGard VT Triple

                                                           iii.      YieldGardÒ Corn Borer   (incl. stacked traits)

                                                           iv.      YieldGard Rootworm       (incl. stacked traits)

                                                            v.      YieldGard Plus                  (incl. stacked traits)

                                                           vi.      BollgardÒ Cotton             (incl. stacked traits)

                                                          vii.      Bollgard II® Cotton           (incl. stacked traits)      

    1. Two versions of the logo are available for use by the seed industry and should be used on all communications including:

                                                              i.      Bag Tags

                                                            ii.      Grower Communications

    1. Report IRM non-compliance to 1-800-768-6387

 

 

 

  1. GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING SEED PIRACY MATTERS
    1. Report Seed Piracy issues anonymously to 1-800-768-6387.
    2. Dealer employees are not to overlook seed piracy.
    3. Employees are NOT to participate in seed piracy acts or cover-ups.  This includes:

                                                   i.      Issuing invoices to cover the use of saved seed or sales followed by “returns” for the same purpose.

                                                 ii.      Employees shall cooperate with seed piracy verification and investigations by the patent holders.

    1. Use seed piracy literature to educate customers about the benefits of new seed and risks associated with seed piracy
  1. EMPLOYEES ARE NOT TO SIGN GROWER AGREEMENTS, U.C.C. CREDIT/DOCUMENTATION OR REBATE SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF GROWERS.
  2. ROUNDUP READY ALFALFA STEWARDSHIP GUIDELINES
    1. With regard to the Roundup Ready® Alfalfa Permanent Injunction STOP SALE

                                       i.      There should be no planting of Roundup Ready® Alfalfa as of 3/30/07

                                      ii.      There should be NO sales of Roundup Ready® Alfalfa as of 3/12/07.

                                     iii.      All remaining inventories should have be consolidated at the seed company.

                                               iv.      This is a regulated article under USDA/APHIS jurisdiction and should abide by their regulations.

                                                v.      USDA will provide existing guidance on existing stands of Roundup Ready® Alfalfa.  Existing stands of RoundupReady® Alfalfa can be harvested, fed or sold for hay or haylage.

    1. Ensure Growers sign a Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreement (MTSA) for all existing stands of Roundup Ready Alfalfa seed.

                                                i.      Complete and accurate reporting of Roundup Ready Alfalfa fields including acreage, field location (latitude/longitude) and planting   dates where applicable.

                                                             ii.      Ensure only forage production of Roundup Ready Alfalfa fields by encouraging appropriate high quality hay management.

                                                            iii.      Comply with additional regional stewardship requirements as needed

                                                           iv.      Cooperate with any compliance audits at either the Grower, Dealer or planted field level.

    1. Educate on commodity channel integrity

                                                               i.      Communicate about approved export markets for hay or forage products.

                                                             ii.      Seed increase (seed piracy) is strictly prohibited!

                                                            iii.      Transfer, exchange or sale of this product for domestic or export use is strictly prohibited.

                                                           iv.      Minimize risk from unauthorized sales into deferred commercialization regions

Ensure buyer and sellers understand their hay/forage contract

 

1Dealers may be exposed to significant financial and administrative costs as well as risk the ability to sell Monsanto’s

current and future traits if it is determined that a dealer’s employee signed an MTSA on a grower’s behalf.

 

 

Where to send completed agreements:

Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreements (MTSA’s)

Monsanto Grower Licensing                                 

622 Emerson Rd STE 150

St Louis, MO 63141-9529                                  

 

Where to get additional information, forms and track your progress:

MTSA Status (Licensed and Do Not License/Do Not Sell Monsanto Patented Traits):

            1-800-ROUNDUP or http://www.FarmSource.com

2007 Grain Marketing Communication Plans:            1-866-SELLCORN or  www.FarmSource.com

                                                                                             Web based tool on  www.FarmSource.com    

                                                                                              Corn States    http://www.corn-states.com

 

Area where GMCP is required:

 

Market Choices Information

American Seed Trade Assn: http://www.amseed.com/

 

We Buy All Corn, All Yearsm  Educational website (1-866-SELLCORN): www.866sellcorn.com

 

STATUS OF MONSANTO COMMERCIAL TRAIT APPROVALS

www.corn-states.com     (Under Stewardship/Market Choices)

 

Where to get more information on Trait Stewardship and IRM:

Trait Stewardship Training Module:  http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/us_ag/layout/stewardship/default.asp

Seed Piracy Educational Testimonial:  http://www.FarmSource.com

 

IRM Information

NCGA_Insect Resistance Management   (http://209.98.16.17/index.html)                    CORN

http://www.plantprotection.org/IRMtraining/                                                                    COTTON

http://www.sites.monsanto.com/monsanto/us_ag/layout/tools_dir/irm.asp             GENERAL

www.corn-states.com                                                                                                                CORN

www.FarmSource.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

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