Syngenta has moved forward with an appeal claiming the class action lawsuit over its Agrisure Viptera corn brand is built on “fundamental errors. Syngenta was allowed to appeal a federal judge’s ruling allowing the ligation to proceed. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of thousands of U.S. corn farmers seeking up to $5 billion from Syngenta. The group claims Syngenta’s Viptera trait found in an export cargo in China prior to China’s approval led to income losses. Syngenta noted that the alleged losses also came as U.S. corn farmers were harvesting the largest corn crop in 50 years, which sent prices 30 percent lower, according to AgWeb. In a statement, Syngenta says the company believes the class certification is inappropriate, given the many ways farmers grow and sell corn in different markets across the United States. Syngenta claims the lawsuits lacks merit and that the Agrisure Viptera trait was commercialized in full compliance with regulatory and legal requirements.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.