Rice contamination suit gets underway in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- The first of several multi-jurisdictional civil trials that involve two Southeast Missouri rice farmers got underway Nov. 2 in St. Louis in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri with Judge Catherine D. Perry presiding. Much of the first week of the trial was spent on jury selection.

The plaintiffs in the trial are Kenneth Bell Farms based in Bell City, Mo., and J.H. Hunter Farms based in Frisco, Mo.

Approximately 300 cases have been filed by rice farmers in five states involving Bayer CropScience of North Carolina. Bayer CropScience is owned by Bayer AG of Monheim, Germany. Farmers in those states allege that Bayer CropScience contaminated the U.S. rice supply with non-approved genetically modified strains of rice. There were 75 Southeast Missouri rice farmers initially involved.

Rice farmers who are part of the lawsuit allege that farmers incurred losses of over $1 billion due to the contamination.

In August 2006, Bayer CropScience found trace amounts of a genetically modified rice, LLRICE601, in commercial rice samples taken in the United States and Europe. The findings resulted in a several countries halting U.S. rice imports, and new testing regulations were instituted by numerous others.