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SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

AND SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE

FOR THE YEARS ENDED

DECEMBER 31, 2015 AND 2014

SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

 

SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015 AND 2014

NOTE A - DESCRIPTION OF PLAN

The following description of Seneca Foods Corporation Employees' Savings Plan ("the Plan") provides only general information. Participants should refer to the Plan agreement for a more complete description of the Plan's provisions.

The Plan is a defined contribution plan intended to qualify as a cash or deferred arrangement under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Substantially all employees of Seneca Foods Corporation ("the Company") are eligible to participate after completion of twelve months employment and attainment of age eighteen. The Plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA").

Each year, participants may contribute up to 60 percent of pretax annual compensation, as defined by the Plan. Participants who have attained age 50 before the end of the Plan year are eligible to make catch-up contributions. Participants may also contribute amounts representing distributions from other qualified defined benefit or defined contribution plans. The Plan includes an auto-enrollment provision whereby all newly eligible employees are automatically enrolled in the Plan, unless they affirmatively elect not to participate, with a default deferral rate set at 2% of eligible compensation. Participants direct the investment of their contributions into various investment options offered by the Plan. If a participant does not elect how to invest their contributions, the contributions will automatically be invested in the investment fund designated by the Company as the default fund. The Plan currently offers various mutual funds and an insurance group annuity contract as investment options for participants. The Company may contribute additional amounts at the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company contribution is invested directly in the Seneca Foods Corporation Employer Stock Fund and is allocated to participants based on the participants' pro rata share of total participating payroll. Contributions are subject to certain statutory limitations.

Each participant's account is credited with the participant's contribution and allocations of (a) the Company's matching contribution and (b) Plan earnings (losses), and charged with an allocation of any administrative expenses paid by the Plan.  Allocations are based on participant earnings or account balances, as defined.  The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the benefit that can be provided from the participant's vested account.

Participants are immediately vested in their contributions plus actual earnings thereon. Vesting in the Company's contribution portion of their accounts is based on years of continuous service. A participant is 100 percent vested after three years of credited service.

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SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE A - DESCRIPTION OF PLAN (CONTINUED)

Participants may borrow from their fund accounts a minimum of $1,000 up to a maximum equal to the lesser of $50,000 or 50 percent of their vested account balance.  The notes are secured by the balance in the participant's account and bear interest at rates ranging from 4.25 percent to 6 percent, which are commensurate with local prevailing rates as determined by the Plan.  Principal and interest is paid ratably through monthly payroll deductions. The term of the loan should not exceed five years except in the case of a loan used to acquire a dwelling unit that is to be the principal residence of the participant.

On termination of service, a participant may elect to receive an amount equal to the value of the participant's vested interest in his or her account in a current lump sum. If the balance (not including any rollover account), is equal to or greater than $5,000, a participant may elect to receive a deferred lump sum.

At December 31, 2015 and 2014, forfeited non-vested accounts totaled approximately $9,988 and $4,175, respectively.  These accounts will be used to reduce future employer contributions. 

NOTE B - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Subsequent events were evaluated through June 23, 2016, which is the date the financial statements were issued.

The financial statements of the Plan are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires Plan management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts and disclosures. Accordingly, actual results may differ from those estimates.

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SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE B - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

Notes receivable from participants are measured at their unpaid principal balance plus any accrued but unpaid interest. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Related fees are charged directly to the borrowing participant's account and are included in administrative expenses when incurred. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, no allowance for credit losses has been recorded. If a participant does not make loan repayments and the plan administrator considers the participant loan to be in default, the loan balance is reduced, and the delinquent participant note receivable is recorded as a benefit payment based on the terms of the Plan document.

Investments are reported at fair value except for the fully benefit responsive group annuity contract, which is reported at contract value. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. See Note F for discussion of fair value measurements.

Purchases and sales of securities are recorded on a trade-date basis. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Net appreciation includes the Plan's gains and losses on investments bought and sold as well as held during the year.

Benefits are recorded when paid.

Certain expenses of maintaining the Plan are paid directly by the Company and are excluded from these financial statements.

 

NOTE C - TAX STATUS

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has determined and informed the Company by a letter dated August 16, 2012, that the Plan and related trust are designed in accordance with the applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). Although the Plan has been amended since receiving the determination letter, the Plan administrator and the Plan's tax counsel believe that the Plan is designed and is currently being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the IRC and therefore believe that the Plan is qualified and the related trust is tax-exempt.

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America require the Plan administrator to evaluate tax positions taken by the Plan and recognize a tax liability for any uncertain position that more likely than not would not be sustained upon examination by the IRS. The Plan is subject to routine audits by tax authorities; however, there are currently no

audits for any tax periods in progress. The Plan administrator believes the Plan is no longer subject to income tax examinations for years prior to 2013.

NOTE D - INVESTMENTS

During 2015 and 2014, the Plan's investments (including gains and losses on investments bought and sold, as well as held during the year) depreciated in value by $7,335,258 and $2,770,625, respectively.

NOTE E - NONPARTICIPANT-DIRECTED INVESTMENTS

Information about the net assets and the significant components of the changes in net assets relating to the nonparticipant-directed investments is as follows at December 31:

 

Net assets:

Seneca Foods Corporation Employer Stock Fund                         $20,896,643                    $19,496,906

 

 

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SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE E - NONPARTICIPANT-DIRECTED INVESTMENTS (CONTINUED)

NOTE F – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Plan's investments are reported at fair value in the accompanying statement of net assets available for benefits. The methods used to measure fair value may produce an amount that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, although the Plan believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to measure the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value at the reporting date.

The fair value measurement accounting literature establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. This hierarchy consists of three broad levels: Level 1 inputs consist of unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and have the highest priority, Level 2 inputs consist of observable inputs other than quoted prices for identical assets, and Level 3 inputs are unobservable and have the lowest priority. The Plan uses appropriate valuation techniques based on the available inputs to measure the fair value of its investments. When available, the Plan measures fair value using Level 1 inputs because they generally provide the most reliable evidence of fair value. Level 3 inputs were only used when Level 1 or Level 2 inputs were not available.

Level 1 Fair Value Measurements

The fair value of mutual funds is based on quoted net asset values of the shares held by the Plan at year-end. The fair value of the Seneca Foods Corporation Employer Stock Fund is valued at the underlying asset value of the funds at year-end.

The following tables set forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the Plan's investments at fair value as of December 31, 2015 and 2014:

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SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Although it has not expressed any intent to do so, the Company has the right under the Plan to discontinue its contributions at any time and/or to terminate the Plan subject to the provisions of ERISA. In the event of Plan termination, participants would become 100 percent vested in their employer contributions. Any unallocated assets of the Plan shall be allocated to participant accounts and distributed in such a manner as the Company may determine.

SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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SENECA FOODS CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS PLAN

EIN: 16-0733425 PLAN NUMBER: 003

SCHEDULE H, LINE 4i - SCHEDULE OF ASSETS (HELD AT END OF YEAR) CONTINUED

DECEMBER 31, 2015

 

		Description of investment
	Identity of issue,	including maturity date,
	borrower, lessor	rate of interest, collateral,		Current
	or similar party	par or maturity value	Cost	Value
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)

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SIGNATURE

 

 

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the trustees have duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seneca Foods Corporation

Employees' Savings Plan

(Name of Plan)

 

/s/Kraig H. Kayser

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Kraig H. Kayser                                           June 23, 2016

Sponsor of Seneca Foods

Corporation Employees'

Savings Plan