1. Any grower who has a potato field rejected for certification by an MSU inspector shall have that field revisited by the MSU chief inspector for verification or rejection of the original inspector’s decision. If the field is rejected by the MSU chief inspector, the grower will be immediately be notified verbally and will be sent a registered letter postmarked within five (5) days of the date of inspection.
2. If a grower disagrees with a decision rendered by a certification inspector on a crop or any other decision resulting in non-certification of a crop, the grower may appeal this decision. The grower must file a certified letter of appeal within five (5) days of receiving the decision notice. The letter should be signed, dated and mailed to Director, Seed Potato Certification, MSU-Bozeman, PO Box 172060, Bozeman, Montana 59717-2060.
3. Upon receipt, the letter will be submitted to the Head of the Department of Plant Science, or a designated representative if the Department Head is not available within the time frame of the appeal. The Head of the Department of Plant Science will make the final decision of the University. Within seven (7) days after receipt of the letter, the complainant will be notified of the University’s ruling.
4. Rogueing or sorting is not permitted between the time of the initial inspection and the re-examination of the field(s) or storage(s) when growers have submitted an appeal. Violators shall lose the right of an appeal and shall have certification rejected.