(a) In any court action involving a complaint that has been the subject of an investigation under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-277.32, any party may introduce evidence of seed quality, cultivation practices and procedures, and scientific opinion contained in the report of the Seed Board. Statements of the parties and recommendations of the Seed Board as resolution of the dispute are not admissible as evidence unless such evidence is otherwise discoverable.

(b) In any court action where a buyer alleges that he or she suffered damages due to the failure of agricultural or vegetable seed to produce or perform as labeled or warranted, or as the result of negligence, and the buyer failed to make a sworn complaint against the dealer as set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-277.30, the buyer’s right to recover damages shall be limited to actual expenditures paid by the buyer to other persons for the cost of seed, labor, equipment, fertilizer, insecticide, herbicide, land rent, or other expenses incurred in connection with the cultivation of the seed alleged to be defective, less any value received by the buyer arising from the sale or transfer of any crops grown from the seed in question. (1998-210, s. 3.)