MINNETONKA, Minn., USA –
Syngenta has obtained a $25,000 settlement from Paul and John Mayclin, Mayclin Farms, Plankinton, South Dakota, in response to their Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act violation. Mayclin admitted to unauthorized sales of Syngenta’s
AgriPro® brand winter wheat variety
SY Wolf.
The
PVP Act states that protected seed may not be sold, re-sold or used to produce seed without permission of the developer. The law allows for legal action against all parties involved in transactions that violate the law, potentially including the seller, the buyer, the cleaner, grain elevators and any other parties.
“We owe it to our seed associates and producers who follow the law and buy their certified seed legally to prevent illegal use of our federally protected seed,” said Darcy Pawlik, product marketing lead for Syngenta’s cereals business. “We must stop illegal use of our genetics if we are to have a forward-looking seed industry with continued improvements in good quality grain.”
SY Wolf, introduced to the public for planting in 2011, is one of several varieties of PVP-protected wheat marketed by Syngenta under its AgriPro seed brand in South Dakota and surrounding areas. The variety is experiencing impressive growth in popularity among wheat producers in the region, which also makes it a favored variety in the illegal seed trade, known as “brown bagging.”
Syngenta, along with a growing number of public and private plant breeders, will continue to protect its intellectual property investment and unique wheat genetics through court action if needed. Settlements and judgments recover lost royalties and profits, which enable further research and support customer services. In addition, Syngenta is a sponsor, along with many other institutions, of a strong educational campaign promoting continued wheat research through supporting a wheat industry cooperative known as the
Farmers’ Yield Initiative (FYI).
FYI is a coalition of public and private organizations dedicated to the education of the benefits of wheat research. Another component of education is enforcement of PVP laws. With this educational campaign, Syngenta hopes to inform producers and sellers of the importance of wheat seed certification and the value it adds to the farming community through investment and research. Farmers suspecting a PVP violation with non-certified seed sales may email tips to
tips@farmersyieldinitiative.com or phone in tips with complete confidentiality to FYI at
(877) 482-5907.
For more information about AgriPro brand certified seed varieties or to find a local AgriPro associate or retailer, visit
AgriPro (
www.agriprowheat.com). Join the conversation online – connect with us at
social.SyngentaUS.com.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit
www.syngenta.com and
www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter
® at
www.twitter.com/Syngenta and
www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
Media Contacts:
Bev Larson
612-656-8382
bev.larson@syngenta.com
Jenn Piotrowski
312-648-6700
jpiotrowski@gscommunications.com
Web Resources:
Syngenta Newsroom
Know More, Grow More
AgriPro
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as ‘expect’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘potential’, ‘plans’, ‘prospects’, ‘estimated’, ‘aiming’, ‘on track’ and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. We refer you to Syngenta's publicly available filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks and uncertainties. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. This document does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any ordinary shares in Syngenta AG, or Syngenta ADSs, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract there for.
©2016 Syngenta, 11055 Wayzata Boulevard Minnetonka, MN 55305. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. PVPA 1994—Unauthorized propagation prohibited. Plant variety protection applied for or granted for Syngenta varieties. AgriPro® and the Syngenta logo are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.