North Dakota Seed Arbitration Board

The Seed Arbitration Board was established by the Legislature in 1989. The purpose of the Board is to help parties resolve seed related disputes. The Board consists of six members designated in Section 4-09-03 of the North Dakota Century Code. The administrative rules of the Board can be found under Title 100 of the North Dakota Administrative Code.

After receiving a request for seed arbitration, the Board will initiate the arbitration process and conduct a hearing to gather information from the disputing parties. The parties to the dispute will be encouraged to explore any possible options for settlement during the arbitration process.

The Board will issue a final report within 30 days of the arbitration hearing(s). If the parties failed to reach a settlement during the arbitration process, the final report will include a non-binding settlement recommended by the Board.

Any evidence presented to the Board and any findings or recommendation by the Board are admissible as evidence in any subsequent proceedings if the dispute is not resolved following seed arbitration.

Any seed labeler, dealer, or customer is eligible to request seed arbitration by writing to the Agriculture Commissioner. An initial filing fee of $250 is required with the request for arbitration. If the cost of arbitration exceeds the initial fee, the Board will determine the additional fees to be paid by any of the parties.

North Dakota
Department of Agriculture
600 E Boulevard Ave Dept 602
Bismarck ND 58505-0020
Phone: (800)642-4752
(701)328-4769
Fax: (701)328-4567