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

Bayer scraps plans for U.S. dicamba production
Move unrelated to court ruling, company says

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

New Brunswick postpones pesticide use hearings
Deadline extended for written submissions
The New Brunswick government’s planned public hearings on the use of glyphosate and other pesticides are postponed, and more time is being granted for the public to file written briefs. The provincial legislature’s all-party standing committee on climate change and environmental stewardship on Feb. 5 announced it would hold hearings in Fredericton March 24-27 “on […] Read more

Bayer reported inching toward glyphosate settlement
Reuters — Bayer has agreed on draft settlement terms with half a dozen law firms representing tens of thousands of plaintiffs alleging that its Roundup herbicide causes cancer, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of the German drugs and pesticides company have come under immense pressure since […] Read more

Pressure on for Bayer CEO to fix legal problems as chairman quits
Frankfurt | Reuters — The departure of Bayer chairman Werner Wenning will turn up the heat on CEO Werner Baumann to resolve the healthcare to agriculture group’s legal problems, two of the firm’s biggest German shareholders said on Wednesday. Bayer’s shares have plunged about a quarter in value since August 2018, when the company lost […] Read more

Bayer considers new tactic in Roundup settlement talks
Reuters — As Bayer tries to settle U.S. lawsuits claiming that its Roundup herbicide causes cancer, the company is considering a proposal that would bar plaintiffs’ lawyers involved in the litigation from advertising for new clients, according to a person familiar with the matter. Bayer has said it is engaged in mediation to resolve the […] Read more

Corteva to accelerate Enlist E3 soybean rollout
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. seed and crop chemical maker Corteva said Thursday it will accelerate production of its next-generation biotech soybean seeds and complementary herbicides in Canada and the U.S. over the next five years. The move heightens the competition for sales to farmers with rivals Bayer and BASF. Up to 20 per cent […] Read more

U.S. EPA reaffirms glyphosate does not cause cancer
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it finished a regulatory review that found glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the United States, is not a carcinogen. The conclusion reaffirms the agency’s stance on glyphosate, the key ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup, despite judgments by U.S. juries that have found […] Read more