Syngenta lawsuit

Just wondered what percent of corn farmers actually went to all of the work and sent in the supporting materials for the lawsuit. The requirements for documentation took quite a bit of time. I have to mail mine tomorrow. Just thought I would listen to some comments before I actually put it in the mail. I question if it is worth it. Supply and demand seems to be the main factor to me. The high prices we saw were also partly due to "funds" investing their money in commodities as well. I guess it doesn't hurt to participate. Wonder what percent of the corn acres were signed up??? Any comments are appreciated.

The way I see it the farmers who grew the affected seed knew it was not approved for export.

It was not to be mixed with other corn until approved.

So who is at fault?

Syngenta or the guys who mixed with other corn.

Only winners will be the lawyers.

If syngenta looses the farmers will end up paying the costs with higher seed costs.

Just my view.

I am tried of all these law suits and will not be participating.

Gary

Andy do you really think your corn price was "hurt" by this action???? BY joining these type of suits it just encourages more of them. The farm will pay one way or another.

Reminds me of the Garst- Starlink mess years ago. Garst man had to quit selling it in the neighborhood, was the most reviled guy in town. Producers knew that agrisure was not approved. Threw that lawsuit BS in the circular file!

Who pays when the dust settles ?

When Syngenta raises their prices to cover the costs of this suit, will their competitors also raise prices just "because they can" ?

What is your plan for cashing in now and avoiding penalty costs later ?

If my decision not to participate causes my farm to go belly-up, I'll really be surprised.

I believe the company and its representatives did not explain very well that the product was not approved for export into most of our markets.

I believe farmers buying the seed were told it will get approved by harvest don't worry about it. In some cases farmers were substituted this trait instead of what they ordered as is normal in the seed industry, but weren't really told about the issues.

That makes the company at least somewhat responsible for the issue.

I believe the corn market crashed somewhat on news that China was rejecting corn shipments because of the 'contaminated' corn and that this news hurt all crop prices as even domestic buyers were scared by the 'contaminated' corn stories. Certainly much of this was just market manipulation by China, and media frenzy by anti-farmer groups. None the less, it was this corn trait that opened the door for these issues.

Those who grew that trait were not so much harmed by it. It is the rest of the farmers who hadn't even heard of it that got the price downfall.

But after all that, it was a modest price deprecion on a corn market that was way too high anyhow.... So the damages, even tho I see them, are pretty small. Dime a bu in I priced corn?

I didnt bother filling out the forms.

I remember in the Starlink case, I got $88. Wow. I think the Starlink was a bit worse, it came at low grain prices as it were, and then the seed sellers were even less vocal about this being a possible issue come harvest time. My elevator was one that ok Starlink corn back that day, and ran it through the feed ill on site. Folks were trucking Starlink corn from 75 miles around to my elevator with the dime premium offered to Starlink growers so as to get it delivered to the proper buyers. I had very long lines for my regular corn because we were down to one dump pit for all corn and beans delivered that year. The one pit sat there just waiting for any Starlink semis, piped to one bin that was reserved for it. I probably was harmed more by this delay and waiting and full elevator during harvest. I spent more than $88 on fuel waiting in the elevator line that year......

Anyhow. I think there is some merit to the case, but there will be very little payout just like the Starlink deal. It is a lawyer game.

It is interesting that cHina is now buying the company that made the unapproved seed trait. An interesting circle there.

Paul

I agree with you guys - JD Seller and Mike. The price decline was mostly a reflection of increased supply. Other factors include influx of fund money driving the market and increased enthusiasm for ethanol at that time. The reason I asked was that I had heard seed dealers have been repeatedly asked for invoices years 2011 through 2015 as the farmers' submitting documentation either didn't want to look or had misplaced them. I do think the Starlink lawsuit was well participated in several years ago. I do not think seed companies should sell GMO seed which is unapproved in the world market. Yes, I do understand that there could also be a lot of "game playing" on the part of foreign countries as well.

Just one question.

Why would you?

I just pre-buy a few bags of corn seed every fall to plant enough to feed a few steers.

I got a call about two weeks ago from my seed dealer. He said I would have to pay 20 bucks more per unit than what we had agreed on and already paid for. He understood me not being to happy, he said it was coming from the seed company not him.

Are they already preparing for what's to come?

I ordered mine a week ago Monday. It was down $5 a bag. That might be the first time I've ever seen that happen. The dealer said he had a state wide meeting coming up the next day,said he was going to remind the big shots that commodity prices were all in the tank.

The original price I paid in Oct. for the seed was down a little from the year before. I figured because of the price of corn being down was the reason. But maybe somebody screwed up on the original order. I've been doing the same thing for years and its the first time its happened.

What seed co is that? Seed prices are fairly flat this year, someone made some sort of mistake there, that ain't right.

Paul

Great Lakes
I may be looking for a new one next year.

I'd of demanded my money back and told him to stick that seed corn where it don't shine. The dealer should absorb those costs (if that's actually the case). I only plant a few acres to grind feed from as well and if my dealer would have told me that, I'd of found somewhere else to get a few bags of seed.