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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] permit to sell seeds

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  • From: "tanis cuff" <tanistanis@hotmail.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] permit to sell seeds
  • Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 20:41:14 +0000

My initial reaction is "Geez, you'd think MN would be able to think of better ways to raise money!" I can't see that the cost of administering this tax would make it a break-even deal for MN state gov't.


My 2nd thought, how many companies will just stop marketting in MN? And will other states see the damage, and NOT want to be the next to suffer?


----Original Message Follows----
From: "Mark Lee" <>
To: "'North American Fruit Explorers'"
Subject: [NAFEX] permit to sell seeds
Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 13:39:44 -0700

This was sent to me by the owner of a small seed company in Illinois.

[...We recently received a notice from the Minnesota Department of
Agriculture regarding the "sale of seeds intended for planting in
Minnesota". The gist of it is that firms who market seeds by mail need
to purchase a permit from the state of Minnesota to do so. The annual
permit ranges from $50 to $2000, depending on the annual gross sales of
the company.... Should this catch on, individual states initiating
similar taxes will strain small seed companies, perhaps putting them out
of business, leaving none but the giant, "agribusiness" seed companies
to sell seeds by mail.]

That is a scary thought. I don't think it was intended to put little
seed companies out of business, but it could have that effect. $50
minimum * 50 states = $2500. A steep barrier for entry. Any comments.

-Mark Lee, Seattle






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