Lawsuits Pile Up Nationwide In Case Of Genetically Modified Corn
From the Springfield State Journal-Register
A legal fight over genetically modified corn that already has generated lawsuits in more than 20 states came to central Illinois on Monday.
A Washington, D.C., law firm invited area farmers at "town hall" meetings in Sherman and Chatham to join a lawsuit against global chemical company Syngenta over corn harvested in 2013 and 2014 that was later rejected by China. Chinese rejection of the U.S. corn caused the price to plummet, according to the lawsuit, costing farmers billions in lost income.
Thousands of farmers have joined dozens of lawsuits nationwide.
"The corn got mingled with regular corn," explained Mount Sterling attorney Edward Tucker, who is working with the Washington, D.C., firm of Mauro, Archer & Associates.
"The Chinese destroyed some of it, and sold some of it to Third World countries, and the price of corn dropped," Tucker said during a meeting with a handful of farmers in Sherman.
Meetings also were scheduled for Tuesday in Ashland and the Cass County community of Virginia. Tucker said his firm alone has signed up farmers representing more than 133,000 acres of corn.
Multiple lawsuits claim Syngenta marketed Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade genetically modified corn seed to U.S. farmers knowing the corn would be rejected by China. The genetically modified seeds are resistant to a variety of pests that damage corn. But the lawsuits claim U.S. corn dropped from $7.60 per bushel to as low as $3.30 per bushel as a result of the Chinese decision.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Springfield State Journal-Register
A legal fight over genetically modified corn that already has generated lawsuits in more than 20 states came to central Illinois on Monday.
A Washington, D.C., law firm invited area farmers at "town hall" meetings in Sherman and Chatham to join a lawsuit against global chemical company Syngenta over corn harvested in 2013 and 2014 that was later rejected by China. Chinese rejection of the U.S. corn caused the price to plummet, according to the lawsuit, costing farmers billions in lost income.
Thousands of farmers have joined dozens of lawsuits nationwide.
"The corn got mingled with regular corn," explained Mount Sterling attorney Edward Tucker, who is working with the Washington, D.C., firm of Mauro, Archer & Associates.
"The Chinese destroyed some of it, and sold some of it to Third World countries, and the price of corn dropped," Tucker said during a meeting with a handful of farmers in Sherman.
Meetings also were scheduled for Tuesday in Ashland and the Cass County community of Virginia. Tucker said his firm alone has signed up farmers representing more than 133,000 acres of corn.
Multiple lawsuits claim Syngenta marketed Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade genetically modified corn seed to U.S. farmers knowing the corn would be rejected by China. The genetically modified seeds are resistant to a variety of pests that damage corn. But the lawsuits claim U.S. corn dropped from $7.60 per bushel to as low as $3.30 per bushel as a result of the Chinese decision.
Read more in our daily News Update...