Ag alert on Seed Bill 633

Action Alert: Farmers’ Action is Needed to Pass SB 633
By Oregon Farm Bureau

 SB 633 would ensure that agriculture seed and seed products are only regulated　at the state and federal levels, preempting additional regulations by local　municipalities. This would prevent a potential patchwork of 36 different county regulations, and over 400 city regulations on agricultural seed. Plant breeding, including genetic engineering (GE), is an extremely complex process and counties lack the financial and technical resources to regulate these products.

We are hoping the bill will be scheduled to move out of committee early next week, but there continues to be uncertainty with the fate of the bill. The anti-biotech groups have stepped up their rhetoric on SB 633 and are having an impact on legislators.

Legislators need to hear from you why you support the bill.

All House members need to hear from you about why this bill is important!!

·         Local counties and municipalities are not technically or financially equipped to regulate agricultural crops.

·         USDA, EPA, and the FDA, currently regulate GE plants and have access to the needed expertise on the issue.　 The cost of discovery, development and authorization of a new plant biotechnology trait introduced between 2008 and 2012 was $136 million, and takes an average of 13.1 years to make it from discovery to commercial market.

·         ODA has the plant scientists expertise to determine if additional Oregon specific regulations are needed.

·         Different restrictions on seeds in different counties and municipalities creates a regulatory nightmare for growers, manufacturers, distributors, and local governments.

·         Farmers could potentially face new regulations from 36 counties and over 400 cities in Oregon.

·         Counties and cities lack the financial resources and expertise to enforce regulations on agricultural seed, and SB 633 will relieve them of this potential

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