The responsibility for properly labeling seed rests with the grower of the seed. State and federal regulations require that seed be labeled accurately and truthfully, and that the requirements for certification are not complete on any lot of potatoes until properly tagged or labeled.

Official tags or bulk certificates (both considered “labels”) are provided to growers by the Seed Department at the request of the grower, who must provided a purchaser a copy of the tag or certificate for each container of seed sold. Growers may request a tag or bulk certificate that contains information such as the grower’s name, variety of seed and generation passed. Each type of label will also indicate the official ND grade of seed, if it has been subject to a shipping point inspection.

• ”Blue Tag” seed has passed field certification and meets North Dakota standards for physical defects (based on USDA grade #1 standards).
  
  
• “Yellow Tag” seed has passed field certification and meets a slightly lower standard for physical defects.
  
  
• “White Tag” seed has passed field inspection and is graded according to agreement between the seller and the purchaser as to size and defects.

Seed tags, which are attached to bags or tote shipments, are colored to indicate the grade of the seed labeled. Seed bulk certificates indicate on the document the physical grade of the tubers, along with the other factors mentioned above. Rules state that grade inspections are compulsory for seed shipped out-of-state, and voluntary for seed shipped within the state of North Dakota.

ND Administrative Code Chapter 74-04-01-02.3. states: “No person may disclaim responsibility of the vendor of the seed for the data or information on the label required by law and any such disclaimer of vendor’s express or implied warranty is invalid”.