Judge dismisses lawsuit against Monsanto

A federal judge has ruled in favour of global seed giant Monsanto Co., dismissing a lawsuit brought by a consortium of U.S. organic farmers and seed dealers who said their industry is at risk from Monsanto’s growing market strength. U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald, for the Southern District of New York, threw out the

Drought adds to Portugal’s economic woes

After Portugal’s driest February in 80 years, farmers are praying for a miracle as drought ravages pastures and sparks forest fires, exacerbating the country’s economic crisis. Worse still, official forecasters expect the freak weather pattern to prevail at least through the end of March, which would worsen a drought now classified as severe and extreme


Monsanto to appeal French ruling

U.S. agribusiness giant Monsanto said Feb. 14 it will appeal a French court ruling that found it responsible for the poisoning of a farmer who inhaled a weed killer in what is the first such case to reach court in France. A court in Lyon, southeast France, ruled Feb. 13 that Monsanto was guilty of

More Crops Briefs, Jan. 26

Viterra shares stumble after disappointing Q4 Reuters / Shares of Viterra fell sharply after the grain handler reported disappointing quarterly results. The company reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings of three cents a share, although revenue of $3.1 billion topped expectations. CEO Mayo Schmidt said the results were “definitely disappointing.” However, for the year, Viterra’s profit jumped


Warm weather threatens to extend U.S. drought

A New Year’s Eve “heat wave” melted away welcomed winter snow that had brought some drought relief to the U.S. Plains, reviving fears that harmfully warm and dry conditions will persist into 2012, U.S. climatologists said in a report issued Jan. 5. “The return of warm, dry weather to the nation’s southern tier could be

Pioneer’s Patent Policy Explained

The patent on Roundup Ready 1 (RR1) soybeans has expired, but new patents will protect Pioneer Hi-Bred s new soybean varieties coming to market next spring. We want to be very clear so that our customers are well positioned to make informed choices for the next season without any misunderstanding, Pioneer Hi-Bred president Ian Grant


DuPont Suit Claims Monsanto Infringed Corn Patent

REUTERS / DuPont s Pioneer seed unit has sued Monsanto Co., claiming its arch-rival infringed on patents that help genetically modified corn seeds germinate. The suit, filed Oct. 18, is the latest volley in a bitter fight between the duo for dominance in the lucrative U.S. corn seed industry. In its lawsuit, filed in United

Agent Orange Case Proceeds

briefs new york/reuters Monsanto Co. has lost a bid to close part of a lawsuit alleging the company caused health injuries to residents living near a plant that made the Vietnam War-era U.S. military defoliant Agent Orange. Monsanto, which operated a Nitro, West Virginia, chemical plant from 1934 to 2000, argued it was working as


Patent Infringement Trial Reduces Farmers’ Penalties

Farmers who breach patent law should expect to pay a price, but an Ontario lawyer says the price some farmers have been paying goes beyond what the law stipulates. I would say the public and farmers out there are being somewhat deliberately misinformed about what is a fair settlement, said Kurtis Andrews, a lawyer with

Monsanto’s “Unauthorized Growers List”

Farmers convicted of, or who admit to stealing Monsanto s technology aren t the only ones being banned from purchasing Roundup Ready crops. If somebody is completely uncooperative and not abiding by the terms of conditions, we ll put them on the unauthorized grower list, said Monsanto spokeswoman Trish Jordan. Under Monsanto s Technical Stewardship