A federal judge in Kansas has allowed a lawsuit filed by farmers against Syngenta to move forward as a class action lawsuit. Farmers from the U.S. sued Syngenta in 2014 after grain shipments to China were rejected because of an unapproved genetically engineered trait was found. The trait, Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera, was unapproved for import by China. Farmers who did not plant Viptera corn claimed they suffered losses when the rejections disrupted trade and dragged down corn prices. It is estimated by the plaintiffs that U.S. corn producers lost between $5-7 billion in current and future revenue because China stopped importing U.S. corn at the time. An attorney appointed to represent the farmers says the ruling “will make it easier and less expensive for farmers to pursue their claims against Syngenta.” Syngenta says it is not responsible for the losses and may appeal the District Court’s decision.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.