Reuters — Bayer AG failed to persuade a California appeals court to overturn a verdict favouring a school groundskeeper who claimed its Roundup weed killer caused his cancer but reduced the amount of damages by 74 per cent, to US$20.5 million. The decision by the California Court of Appeal came after a San Francisco jury […] Read more

Bayer loses California appeal of Roundup verdict
Damages payable to plaintiff are further reduced

Bayer puts Roundup future claims settlement on hold
Judge questions proposal for third-party scientists to rule on chemical's carcinogenicity
Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer was forced on Wednesday to delay part of a proposed settlement of allegations that its widely used herbicide Roundup caused cancer after a U.S. judge questioned its plan to deal with future claims. The German company said that lawyers representing those preparing a class action had withdrawn a request for […] Read more

Investors pile into Bayer bond to pay settlement charges
Amsterdam | Reuters — Investors piled into a Bayer bond on Wednesday that will help pay for a long-negotiated settlement of U.S. lawsuits claiming its widely-used herbicide Roundup caused cancer. Demand for the four-tranche bond sale, whose proceeds will include the litigation payments, exceeded 17.5 billion euros, nearly three times the six billion euros (C$9.15 […] Read more

U.S. settlements not expected to change availability, labels for glyphosate, dicamba
Bayer to pay up to US$12 billion to resolve ag chem, PCB claims; company is "not contemplating" a Canadian glyphosate settlement
Updated, June 25 — Farmers in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere shouldn’t expect any changes to availability or label directions for Bayer’s stable of glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, coming out of a massive settlement for thousands of lawsuits, the company says. The German company announced Wednesday it expects to spend up to $12 billion in […] Read more

Bayer reportedly near glyphosate settlement after lengthy talks
Proposed settlement said to include $2 billion for future cases
Reuters — Germany’s Bayer is set to reach a settlement this week with U.S. plaintiffs that claim its glyphosate-based herbicides cause cancer, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. After more than a year of talks, however, some details and the overall amount of the settlement have yet to be finalised, one of the […] Read more

U.S. court blocks California cancer label on Roundup
WHO agency's ruling alone insufficient, judge says
Reuters — A U.S. federal appeals court on Monday blocked California from requiring that Bayer label its glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup with a cancer warning, handing the company a victory in its ongoing litigation over the product. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge William Shubb called California’s cancer warning misleading and said the state’s label is […] Read more

Bayer scraps plans for U.S. dicamba production
Move unrelated to court ruling, company says
Chicago | Reuters — Bayer said on Tuesday it will scrap a nearly US$1 billion project to produce dicamba in the United States, but said the move is unrelated to a federal court decision that blocked sales of dicamba-based herbicides. The German-based company is moving to save cash as it wages an expensive legal battle […] Read more

Ready for prime time? Spot-spraying tech advancing quickly
Spot spraying in crop has a ways to go, but pre-seed burn-off may soon be commonplace
Reading Time: 5 minutes Producers have been hearing about weed-targeting spot-spraying sensors for some time, but it’s always seemed to be the stuff of science fiction. In some cases, however, the future is now while in others it’s coming quickly — it all depends on the type of sensor tech you’re interested in. Well-known spraying expert Tom Wolf separates […] Read more

Bayer reporting progress in Roundup settlement talks
Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer said on Monday it had made progress seeking a settlement over claims its glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide causes cancer, after Bloomberg reported the company reached a verbal agreement on about 50,000 to 85,000 cases. The drugs and pesticides group is keen to draw a line under the legal dispute, which it […] Read more

Proxy advisers split over endorsing Bayer management
Chemical giant to host AGM April 28
Frankfurt | Reuters — Shareholder advisory groups are divided over whether to endorse the management and directors at German drugs and pesticides company Bayer, according to recommendations submitted by proxy voting firms. Bayer is due to host its annual general meeting on April 28 but the company still faces potentially huge litigation risks stemming from […] Read more