News

Settlement reached in Syngenta Agrisure GMO corn lawsuit

Attorneys for farmers impacted by the Chinese rejection of Syngenta genetically modified corn have won a settlement in a class action lawsuit.  Attorneys have agreed to a 1-point-51 billion dollar settlement to cover the damages of all growers and related businesses nationwide.

The suit was filed in Kansas after Syngenta marketed Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade seed corn to the U.S. market before China approved the modified crop for import.  That resulted in China refusing all U.S. corn shipments in late 2013.

Attorneys say farmers, crop share landlords, grain handling facilities and ethanol plants nationwide will be eligible to file a claim for compensation.

The settlement must be first approved by Kansas District Judge John W. Lungstrum before the claims process can proceed.  If approved, notices will be sent to the farmers and they will have a limited amount of time to file a claim.

The announcement was made Monday by the four lawyers who were appointed Co-Lead and Class Counsel by the Court – William Chaney of Gray Reed & McGraw LLP, Patrick Stueve of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP, Don Downing of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., and Scott Powell of Hare Wynn Newell & Newton.

Similar class action lawsuits in Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota were all certified into this one case.