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).
