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Farmers hear options in Syngenta lawsuits

Lawyers have been holding informational meetings around the Midwest to inform farmers of their options relating to lawsuits filed against Syngenta.

The lawsuits allege that Syngenta’s decision to market its Viptera corn trait before it was approved for import by China contributed to a dramatic drop in corn prices and cost American farmers a billion dollars.

Mike Waats, an attorney with the San Antonio, Texas-based law firm Waats Guerra, met last week with farmers in Iowa.

“We think that the particular data that we have shows that Syngenta’s actions were very much a contributing cause of the pain that the American corn farmer is feeling in his pocketbook right now,” says Waats.

Syngenta has said the lawsuits are “without merit” and the company believes farmers have a right to access “approved new technologies that can increase both their productivity and their profitability.”

AUDIO: Comments from attorney Mike Waats

Dennis Morrice, KLEM Radio, Le Mars, Iowa contributed to this story