AGREEMENT

FOR THE PRODUCTION AND PURCHASE OF NUTRIDENSE® CORN

 

      THIS AGREEMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION AND PURCHASE OF NUTRIDENSE® CORN (“Agreement”), made this ________ day of ___________________, _______, by and between _________________________ of _______________ (“Buyer”), and ___________________________________ of _____________________, ________ (“Grower”),

 

RECITALS

 

      NutriDense® Corn is a brand of hybrid seed corn exhibiting elevated levels of oil, protein and amino acids developed by BASF Plant Science L.L.C.  (“BASF”) and marketed by BASF’s NutriDense® licensees.  Grower has agreed to produce NutriDense Corn for Buyer on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Only NutriDense grain corn produced from NutriDense hybrid seed sold by a NutriDense licensee will be accepted as delivery against this agreement.  This will include all NutriDense seed sold to licensees which is introgressed with Roundup Ready® corn/NK603, YieldGard®VT (Mon88017),  YieldGard® Plus (Mon88017/Mon810), YieldGard®VT Triple Pro (Mon88017/Mon89034), Agrisure™ Rootworm MIR604 and/or YieldGard® Rootworm corn/MON863, Herculexâ corn/line 1507, Herculexâ RootWorm corn/line 59122, Herculexâ Xtra corn/line1507 x line 59122, Agrisureâ Bt corn/line Bt11, individually or in stacked combinations, provided that Grower has contractual rights necessary to grow seed containing such events.  Seller verifies that no other genetically modified corn hybrids carrying any other trait/event has been co-mingled with this corn.

 

            NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants set forth in this Agreement, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Type of Grain; Quantity:  Grower agrees to produce and sell to Buyer, and Buyer agrees to purchase from Grower, ______ acres of NutriDense® corn (“Grain”), all in accordance with the terms and conditions contained herein.

 

2. Location of Acreage:  Grower shall produce the Grain at the location described as follows: _________________________________ farm located in _______________ Township,  _____________ County, ____________State.

 

3. Delivery Destination; Delivery Period:

 

(a)  Upon execution of this Agreement, Grower shall select one or more of the following delivery periods (“Delivery Period”) between November 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010 for delivery of the Grain. 

 

Number of Acres        Delivery Period                                               Destination     

                                    November 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009                                                    

                                    January 1, 2010 to February 28, 2010                                                          

                                    March 1, 2010 to April 30, 2010                                                                    

                                    July 1, 2010 to August 31, 2010                                                                    

The estimated number of bushels to be delivered during each Delivery Period selected by Grower shall not be less than 5,000 bushels.  Buyer may, in its sole discretion, select a date in the Delivery Period for delivery of the portion of the Grain allocated by Grower to that Delivery Period (“Delivery Date”).  Buyer shall give Grower at least 15 days prior written notice of the Delivery Date (“Buyer’s Call).  Grower shall deliver the Grain on the Delivery Date.

 

(b)  Upon execution of this Agreement, Grower shall select one or more of the delivery destinations (“Destination”) listed on Exhibit A.  The estimated number of bushels to be delivered to each Destination selected by Grower shall not be less than 5,000 bushels.  Grower shall deliver the Grain to Destination or any other facility specified in Buyer’s Call.  If Buyer specifies a location other than Destination, Buyer shall pay Grower for additional transportation costs incurred by Grower, if any.

 

(c)  If Grower does not receive Buyer’s Call by August 15, 2010, Grower shall deliver the Grain to Destination on or before August 31, 2010.

 

4. Grain Specifications:

 

(a)  The Grain shall meet the following specifications:

(i)         Pro/Fat*                       13.5% Minimum (0% moisture)

            *(protein and oil% combined total content), and, at least 4.8% oil content.

(ii)        Foreign Matter                        3% Maximum (with no discount)

(iii)       Damage                      5% Maximum (with no discount)

(iv)       Aflatoxin                      <20 PPB

(v)        Odor                            Cool and sweet

(vi)       Test Weight                 54 lb. Minimum (with no discount)

(vii)      Moisture                      15% Maximum (with no discount)

            (viii)     All Grain delivered under this Agreement shall be unrestricted from movement in interstate commerce within the meaning of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, EPA tolerances, the US Grain Standards Act and applicable state law.  The Grain shall not contain any corn genetically modified with the Aventis “Starlink” technology.  This will include all NutriDense seed sold to licensees which is introgressed with Roundup Ready® corn/NK603, YieldGard® Corn Borer corn/Mon810, and/or YieldGard® Rootworm corn/MON863, Herculexâ corn/line 1507, Herculexâ RootWorm corn/line 59122, Herculexâ Xtra corn/line1507 x line 59122, Syngentaâ Bt corn/line Bt11, individually or in stacked combinations, provided that Grower has contractual rights necessary to grow seed containing such events.  Grower verifies that no other genetically modified corn hybrids carrying any other trait/event has been co-mingled with this corn.

 

(b)  Pro/Fat content shall be measured and expressed on a zero moisture basis.

 

(c)  Buyer shall purchase all Grain produced by Grower pursuant to this Agreement that meets all of the specifications set forth in Section 4(a).  Grain failing to meet any one or more of the grain specifications set forth in Section 4(a) (“Nonconforming Grain”) may be accepted or rejected by Buyer in its sole discretion.  All Nonconforming Grain accepted by Buyer that contains less than 13.5% Pro/Fat and less than 4.8 oil content shall be purchased as #2 yellow corn.  Buyer shall have no obligation to purchase Nonconforming Grain.

 

(d)  Destination weights and grades shall govern; provided, however, Grower has the right to appeal any grading by submitting a sample to the Federal Grain Inspection Service, at Grower’s expense, for an official grade.

 

(e)  If requested by Buyer, grower shall provide a representative sample of the Grain to Buyer before delivery.  Buyer shall provide sample bags and sample shipping instructions to the Grower.  Buyer or its representative shall have the right to sample bins of Grain prior to delivery.

(f)  Pro/Fat content of the Grain shall be determined on the Delivery Date by Buyer or its representative utilizing a grain analyzer calibrated to specifications approved by BASF for testing NutriDense® grain.  A representative sample shall be drawn and tested from each load of Grain.  At Grower’s request, Buyer shall provide Grower with the test results and/or details of the sampling and measurement procedure.

 

(g)  In the event Grower disagrees with the test results related to oil or protein content, the Grower may request that a second sample be drawn and immediately analyzed by the grain analyzer.  If a second test is performed, the oil and protein content for determining the specifications in Section 4(a) have been met shall be the average value of the two sample measurements.  Grower may, at its sole expense, request a third party analysis of the Grain.  Within 3 days of Buyer’s receipt of Grower’s request for third-party analysis, Buyer shall send a sample of the Grain to Eurofin/Woodsen Tenant Laboratories.  The parties agree that the oil and protein content determined by Eurofin/Woodsen Tenant Laboratories shall be binding on the parties and used to determine whether the Grain met the oil content and protein content specifications set forth in Section 4(a).


5. Grower Compensation; Price Selection; Time of Payment:  The price to be paid to Grower by Buyer for all Grain purchased pursuant to this Agreement shall be determined as follows:

 

(a)  The “Pricing Period” shall be the period between the date of this Agreement and the Delivery Date.  On any business day of Buyer during the Pricing Period, Grower may provide to Buyer a written good faith estimate of the quantity in bushels of Grain to be delivered on the Delivery Date at the end of such Pricing Period and select the posted price at Destination quoted that day by Buyer for #2 yellow corn (“Base Price”).  The Base Price shall apply to all Grain to be delivered on the Delivery Date at the end of such Pricing Period.

 

(b)  If Grower fails to select a price for #2 yellow corn by the close of business on the last business day of the Pricing Period, then the Base Price shall be the last quoted price of Buyer for #2 yellow corn on the last business day of the Pricing Period.

 

(c)  If the Grain meets or exceeds both the Pro/Fat content requirements set forth in Section 4(a), the Base Price shall be increased by (1) an “Economic Value Premium” of 10 cents per bushel and (2) a “Market Development Premium” of 15 cents per bushel.

 

(d)  If Buyer elects to accept Nonconforming Grain, the Base Price shall be reduced by the cumulative amount of the following discounts:

 

All Discounts will be “Market Scale of Discounts” at the time of shipment for each respective delivery point.  Those discounts are subject to change without notice.

 

(e)  If Buyer elects to accept Nonconforming Grain and the Nonconforming Grain meets or exceeds the Pro/Fat content requirements set forth in Section 4(a), the Base Price shall be (1) increased by the premiums described in Section 5(c) and (2) decreased by the discounts described in Section 5(d).

 

(f)   Within seven (7) days after the Delivery Date(s), Buyer shall make the amount(s) due under this Agreement available to Grower.  The total amount due from Buyer to Grower shall be calculated by multiplying (1) the number of bushels of Grain delivered by (2) the Base Price as adjusted for any applicable premiums and/or discounts determined in accordance with Sections 5(c), 5(d) and/or 5(e) of this Agreement.

 

(g)  If Buyer fails to accept delivery of Grain after the Grain has been priced by Grower, Buyer shall pay Grower a storage charge of $.000986/bu./day (3 cents/month) from the Delivery Date until Buyer accepts delivery.  Buyer shall have no obligation to pay Grower any storage fees on un-priced grain.

 

(a)  6. Reserved

 

7.  Governing Law:  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the respective state in which the production is located.

 

8. Title; Liens:  Grower warrants that at the time it delivers the Grain to the Buyer, all Grain shall be free of all liens, encumbrances, and claims of any type whatsoever, and Grower will have good an merchantable title thereto, with the right to dispose of same; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if written notification of a lien or other encumbrance is received by Buyer prior to Grower’s delivery or such time as Grain is available to Buyer for transport, whichever is applicable, Buyer may accept the Grain but will make payment in accordance with said notification.

 

9. Final and Complete Agreement:  This Agreement represents the final, complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between the parties and may not be amended, modified or supplemented, except in writing, signed by both parties.

 

10. Successors and Assigns:  This Agreement shall be binding upon the heirs, administrators and executors of Grower, and the successors or assigns of Buyer.  This Agreement may not be assigned, transferred, sold, pledged, encumbered, or used as collateral in any way by Grower, without the prior written consent of Buyer in its sole discretion.

 

11. No Waiver:  Acceptance of any Grain by Buyer after breach of the terms and conditions of this Agreement by Grower shall not waive any rights or remedies accruing to Buyer as a result of such breach.

 

12. Under-deliveries:  If Grower fails to complete delivery of the quantity of Grain as estimated and priced per paragraph 5(a) of this Agreement by Grower, Buyer may purchase replacement Grain in the quantity necessary to fulfill this Agreement.  Grower shall be responsible to Buyer for the cost of such replacement Grain to the extent the per-bushel cost of such replacement Grain exceeds the per-bushel sales price of Grain to be paid Grower, as provided above.

 

13. Over-deliveries:  Any Grain delivered by Grower which is in excess of the quantity estimated and priced by Grower, shall be purchased by Buyer at Buyer’s posted bid price at Destination for that type and grade of Grain on the date such excess is delivered, subject to adjustment for the premiums and/or credits described in Section 5(c), 5(d) and 5(e) of this Agreement, if applicable.

 

14. Seed:  All Grain produced by Grower pursuant to this Agreement shall be grown only from seed corn identified as NutriDense® brand hybrid corn seed and purchased from a seed company holding a valid NutriDense license from BASF. 

 

Grower:  By                                                                Buyer: By                                                       

Name:                                                                         Name:                                                            

DBA:                                                                           DBA:                                                              

Address:                                                                      Address:                                                         

City:                             , St.                  Zip                   Phone:                         & Fax:                        

Phone: (          )           & Fax: (___)                          E-mail:                                                            

E-mail:                                                                         Contract Number:                                          


EXHIBIT A

AGREEMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION AND PURCHASE OF NUTRIDENSE® GRAIN

GRAIN DELIVERY DESTINATIONS 2009/2010

 

DESTINATION                                              SELECTION(S)

For Example:                         For Example:                         For Example:

1.  East Des Moines, IA                  Heartland Coop           ______            Rail