Society Black farmers were deliberately sold ‘fake seeds’ in scheme to steal their land: report

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Zeph

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Jan 22, 2015
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Black farmers in the Mid-South region surrounding Memphis used science to uncover a multi-million dollar scheme to put them out of business and steal their farmland, WMC News reported Tuesday.

At the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show show in March of 2017, African-American farmers believe that Stine Seed Company purposefully sold them fake seeds.


Thomas Burrell, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, explained how black farmers were receiving one-tenth of the yield as their white neighbors.

“Mother nature doesn’t discriminate,” Burrell said. “It doesn’t rain on white farms but not black farms. Insects don’t [only] attack black farmers’ land…why is it then that white farmers are buying Stine seed and their yield is 60, 70, 80, and 100 bushels of soybeans and black farmers who are using the exact same equipment with the exact same land, all of a sudden, your seeds are coming up 5, 6, and 7 bushels?”

The results were so stark, resulting in millions of dollars in losses, the farmers took their seeds for scientific testing by experts at Mississippi State University.

The tests revealed the black farmers had not been given the quality “certified” Stine seeds for which they had paid.

Burrell suggested a land grab was the ultimate motivation of the perpetrators.

“All we have to do is look at here: 80 years ago you had a million black farmers, today you have less than 5,000. These individuals didn’t buy 16 million acres of land, just to let is lay idle. The sons and daughters, the heirs of black farmers want to farm, just like the sons and daughters of white farmers.”

“So we have to acknowledge that racism is the motivation here,” Burrell concluded.

The farmers have filed a class-action lawsuit in United States District Court for the Western Division in Memphis.

A state legislator is also seeking an investigation into the scheme.

Tennessee Rep. G.A. Hardaway (D-Memphis) vowed state government would investigate “issues which have negatively impacted our black farmers.”

“We will explore the avenues — whether its civil, whether it’s criminal — dealing with fraud,” Rep. Hardaway vowed.

One farmer victimized, David Hall, explained why he had paid extra for high quality seeds.

“We bought nearly $90,000 worth of seed” Hall explained. “It’s been known to produce high yield, so you expect it, when you pay the money for it, to produce the high yields.”

The farmers “were effectively duped,” Burrell told WREG-TV. “It’s a double whammy for these farmers, it accelerates their demise and effectively it puts them out of business.”

“No matter much rain Mother Nature gives you, if the germination is zero the seed is impotent,” Burrell reminded.

Myron Stine of Stine Seed Company said in a statement: “The lawsuit against Stine Seed Company is without merit and factually unsupportable. Stine takes seriously any allegations of unlawful, improper, or discriminatory conduct and is disturbed by the baseless allegations leveled against the company. Upon learning of these claims, the company took swift action to conduct an internal investigation, which has not revealed any evidence that would support these allegations. Stine intends to vigorously defend itself against this meritless lawsuit and has filed a motion to dismiss. Our focus is on continuing to serve all our customers with the highest degree of integrity and respect that are the bedrock of our company’s values.”

Black farmers were deliberately sold ‘fake seeds’ in scheme to steal their land: report
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,414
57,814
If the story is true, that is some criminal shit. If they sold garbage seeds under the certified label, someone is going to jail.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
27,507
29,834
If the story is true, that is some criminal shit. If they sold garbage seeds under the certified label, someone is going to jail.
if true, it's amazing that someone thought they could get away with it...you publish 90b/acre yields, and don't expect people to flip out when they pull 7b/acre?
 

KWingJitsu

ยาเม็ดสีแดงหรือสีฟ้ายา?
Nov 15, 2015
10,311
12,758
Double fucked:
Fuck 1: China Tarrifs on soybeans
Fuck 2: Stine Seed Company ... 'Murican Yee-Haw!! (Reverse Zimbabwe edition)
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
Double fucked:
Fuck 1: China Tarrifs on soybeans
Fuck 2: Stine Seed Company ... 'Murican Yee-Haw!! (Reverse Zimbabwe edition)
Fuck 2 was hilarious as it destroyed zimbabwe. Then they begged the white farmers to come back, since the people that took over land couldnt farm for shit, and lead to famine.
Fuck 3: south Africa voted in February (this year) to take away all white peopke's farming land as well. Apparently nothing was learned from zimbabwe.
White South African farmers will be removed from their land after a landslide vote in parliament.

The country's constitution is now likely to be amended to allow for the confiscation of white-owned land without compensation, following a motion brought by radical Marxist opposition leader Julius Malema.

It passed by 241 votes for to 83 against after a vote on Tuesday, and the policy was a key factor in new president Cyril Ramaphosa's platform after he took over from Jacob Zuma in February.

Mr Malema said the time for 'reconciliation is over'. 'Now is the time for justice,'News24 reported.
Malema has a long-standing commitment to land confiscation without compensation. In 2016 he told his supporters he was 'not calling for the slaughter of white people - at least for now'.
 

KWingJitsu

ยาเม็ดสีแดงหรือสีฟ้ายา?
Nov 15, 2015
10,311
12,758
Double whore
Not sure why you said it was "hilarious".
I can only assume you didn't understand my post.
I am aware of what happened, which is why I said "reverse Zimbabwe" America edition. I hope you don't think I think any of it was right, or 'hilarious'.
Thanks for the history lesson though.
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
Not sure why you said it was "hilarious".
I can only assume you didn't understand my post.
I am aware of what happened, which is why I said "reverse Zimbabwe" America edition. I hope you don't think I think any of it was right, or 'hilarious'.
Thanks for the history lesson though.
I don't see people as dying as hilarious, but I most certainly do find humor in terrible decisions that backfire.
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
I might add that south Africa seems to think zimbabwe is not a good example of this policy properly implemented, which is eerily similar to berne sanders and his supporters thinking that socialism is a good idea, but simply hasn't been implemented properly. There is something people should learn about history, but some people are just too dumb or ignorant to pay attention.
 

Disciplined Galt

Disciplina et Frugalis
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
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I might add that south Africa seems to think zimbabwe is not a good example of this policy properly implemented, which is eerily similar to berne sanders and his supporters thinking that socialism is a good idea, but simply hasn't been implemented properly. There is something people should learn about history, but some people are just too dumb or ignorant to pay attention.
Working with a girl from Zimbabwe at the moment, she's hilariously anti pc.
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
Working with a girl from Zimbabwe at the moment, she's hilariously anti pc.
The people of zimbabwe didn't make the decision, so that doesn't surprise me. On top of that, the decision was made a while ago, so the girl you are working with probably doesn't know the difference in the country, pre and post that decision. This is an assumption since you are a school teacher, so I'm guessing she is somewhat young.
 

Disciplined Galt

Disciplina et Frugalis
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
26,030
30,881
The people of zimbabwe didn't make the decision, so that doesn't surprise me. On top of that, the decision was made a while ago, so the girl you are working with probably doesn't know the difference in the country, pre and post that decision. This is an assumption since you are a school teacher, so I'm guessing she is somewhat young.
She's 25, however she's educated and knows the history of Rhodesia.