Certification Fees

The certification fee is based on the number of pounds approved for certification. This fee is charged to the conditioner who is reimbursed by the grower. Effective March 1, 2024, there is a minimum certification fee of $125.00 and rejected lots will also be charged $125.00.

“Not Finally Certified” seed lots, which receive grey colored OECD tags, will be charged a fee of $1.75/cwt.

Certification fees are as follows:

Alfalfa
(Includes $.15/cwt. for NAFA, $.35/cwt for research)
$1.68/cwt.
Beans and Cowpeas
(Includes $.40/cwt. for research)
$1.11/cwt.
Clover $2.52/cwt.
Cotton*
(Includes $4.00/cwt. for research)
$4.95/cwt.
Hemp $5.04 cwt.
Small Grains (Barley, Oats, Rye, Triticale, and Wheat)
(Includes $.30/cwt. for research)
$0.52/cwt.
All Other Crops $1.58/cwt.
Rice $0.16/cwt.
Safflower $0.24/cwt.
Sorghum $0.64/cwt.
Sunflower $2.77/cwt.
Watermelon $13.46/cwt.

These certification fees effective March 1, 2024.

Research fees updated October 2015.

Please note that remill, resample and substandard samples are billed regular certification fees.

RESEARCH FEE – Research fees will be assessed on alfalfa, beans and cowpeas, cereal, and clover seed leaving California for final cleaning and conditioning in another state. These research assessments will be reduced by 10% of the California conditioned seed fee and levied on an "in-dirt hundred weight" as reported on Interstate Transfer Certificates.

*COTTON RESEARCH FEE – Cotton research fees will be completely eliminated on seed of non-approved varieties sold outside California. Seed of approved varieties sold out-of-state will be assessed the full research fee.


Research Policy for Allocation of Research Funds

Funding for research grants is collected by assessing a research fee on pounds (cwt) of seed certified for alfalfa, beans, clover, cotton, and small grains (barley, oats, rye, triticale, and wheat). These funds are collected and kept separate from the CCIA budgeted funds.

The policy for distribution of research funds is that money collected by a commodity for research is used to benefit only that commodity. Money distributed by the CCIA for research shall not be used for indirect costs including, but not limited to, University overhead. Allocation of funds beyond what is available would be the exception rather than the normal practice.

Research proposals are solicited annually in March. At this time, the CCIA staff will evaluate the funds allocated the previous year, the commodity resources available for the current year, and the assessment fee necessary to maintain the existing level of support. This information will be made available to the research committees in April along with the research proposals submitted for review.

Each research committee will present a formal recommendation at the June Board of Directors meeting regarding which proposals to fund and at what level. Research committees are not obligated to allocate all the funds available.

Updated March 2017