There are some new developments in the numerous lawsuits against Syngenta over the release of Viptera corn without Chinese import approval.
The most recent is that trial dates have been set on class-action lawsuits in seven other states including Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Ohio. Those trials are scheduled for next year.
Iowa State University ag law specialist Kristine Tidgren says the next big trial is next month in a Minnesota state court.
“They have a class action for farmers from Minnesota. But then they also have about 60-thousand individual claims from farmers who have had individual representation,” Tidgren says. “That’s going to be the next big verdict, I think, that we hear.”
In June, Syngenta lost a $218 million jury verdict involving Kansas farmers. Syngenta says it will appeal that decision, but Tidgren says the outcome of the upcoming Minnesota trial could cause Syngenta to re-evaluate its approach.
“If you have another trial and you would have another devastating verdict against Syngenta, that would definitely sort of up the ante for settlement,” Tidgren says.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com