Genetically Engineered Rice Eliminated Rice Markets and Reduced Farmer's Income
A complaint was filed on August 18, 2009 in The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Eastern Division, on behalf of 2,061 Arkansas rice farmers against Bayer Cropscience.
In recent years, there has been considerable experimentation with strains "genetically engineered" (GE) crops, including rice. A strain of rice can now be genetically modified to make it immune to a certain type of poison or herbicide. Many foreign countries that buy rice and food crops from the U.S. will not accept GE crops. For example, the European Union ("EU") will not accept GE or GE-contaminated rice from the U.S.
On August 18, 2006, the USDA announced that GE Rice had been found in the U.S. commercial long grain rice supply. As a result, the EU and other markets would no longer buy U.S. long grain rice and the farmers suffered a decrease in the value of their rice. The loss of such a major market as the EU is significant. In 2005, EU countries purchased more than 200,000 tons of U.S. long grain rice. Lawyers for the rice farmers allege that the farmers have continued to suffer losses as a result of the GE contamination, because the EU, Japan and other markets have continued their resistance to U.S. long grain rice.
The complaint details seven counts against the defendants including negligence, fraudulent concealment, ultra hazardous activity, absolute or strict liability, punitive damages, statutory negligence, and breach of contract.
Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton LLP, is the longest- existing plaintiffs' firm in Alabama with offices in Little Rock. The firm has a successful history of assisting Arkansas farmers. In 2005, the firm resolved a case against Tyson Foods for $42.5 million on behalf of a large group of hog farmers in Arkansas. Hare Wynn is currently providing representation to more than 100 chicken farmers against Pilgrim's Pride.
Arkansas-based attorney Jerry Kelly is working closely with Hare Wynn in this historic case on behalf of rice farmers. Kelly, who is also a rice farmer in The Natural State of Arkansas, has a unique appreciation for the difficulties confronting these Arkansas farmers
"I can think of nothing more honorable than having the opportunity to represent so many of our state's rice farmers," states Kelly. "They are fiercely independent people of extraordinary faith and have suffered and continue to suffer a tremendous loss."
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