The battle over growing genetically modified crops in France flared anew on Thursday as the country's top administrative court overturned a government ban on growing GM corn sold by the US giant Monsanto.
China approved three genetically modified soybean types for consumption, including the RR2BT seed resistant to the imidazolinonas and the glufosinat-ammonium herbicides. The announcement was made following a meeting between Agriculture ministers from Argentina and China in Beijing.
In a decision that drew sighs of relief from the biotechnology industry, the US Supreme Court ruled that an Indiana farmer violated agribusiness company Monsanto Co’s patent for a type of soybean. The court agreed unanimously with Monsanto that Vernon Bowman, 75, had performed an end-run around the law when he used the company’s patented soybean seeds without seeking a licence.
Another setback for Monsanto in South America: the Argentine province of Córdoba justice system ordered the suspension of the construction of a corn seed-drying facility in the district of Malvinas Argentinas, 14 kilometres outside the capital city of Córdoba.
Monsanto Company announced plans to file an immediate appeal of a recent ruling by a single judge of the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice, relating to the company's request for term correction of a patent covering its Roundup Ready soybean product.
US agricultural giant Monsanto Tuesday posted a large increase in quarterly earnings on strong results in corn seed sales in the US and Latin America and better sales of pesticides. The St Louis-based corporation said net income for the first quarter was 339 million dollars, up from 126 million a year earlier.
Monsanto, the world’s biggest seed company, suspended collection of royalties for its Roundup Ready soybeans in Brazil while it appeals a state court ruling on intellectual property rights.
Argentine authorities suspended the local unit of US seed giant Monsanto from a local grains registry over allegations of tax irregularities. The company denied the allegations in a statement issued late on Wednesday.
Monsanto, the world's largest seed company won a one billion dollars victory over its arch rival in a lawsuit concerning patents in the agricultural seed market. The victory, concerning genetically modified seeds that allow crops to tolerate weed killer, should have little immediate impact in that lucrative marketplace.
US agrochemical giant Monsanto will direct most of a 365 million dollars investment in Argentina to a corn seed factory in the central city of Cordoba, the local government there has announced.