Bayer Ordered to Pay More Than $1M to Arkansas Rice Farmer

A Wooodruff County, Ark., Circuit Court jury has ordered Bayer CropScience LP to pay a rice farmer more than $1 million in a lawsuit over experimental rice variety.

The decision awards $532,643 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages to Lenny Joe Kyle. The jury found Kyle suffered losses when the German corporation’s experimental variety of genetically modified rice was mixed with the rice supply.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the rice created no risk. But Japan and the European Union immediately restricted U.S. rice leading to a drop in rice prices and a drop in U.S. rice exports.

Bayer issued a statement saying it disagrees with the decision and will consider its legal options. The statement says Bayer maintains it acted responsibly and appropriately.

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com