The developer of bio-engineered “StarLink” corn has paid out over 10-million dollars to Iowa farmers and elevators, and the company will indefinitely extend the period for filing claims for losses.
StarLink was planted on 40-percent of Iowa corn acres in 2000, it was not approved for human consumption, but it got mingled with other corn. StarLink’s developer, Aventis, is getting praise from Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller for stepping up and paying all claims.
Miller says Aventis officials quickly decided to pay farmers for their losses in order to keep those farmers as customers.
There are still claims pending, but almost 11-hundred Iowa farmers have been paid about six-million and 965 Iowa elevators have been paid four-and-a-half million by Aventis.
Aventis Crop Science is being sold to Bayer, but Miller says Aventis will keep paying StarLink claims. Seventeen corn-producing states participated in the agreement with Aventis.
Iowa's Radio News Network
