Iowans may have money coming in herbicide settlement

Iowa farmers who used a certain herbicide may be due part of a huge court settlement. The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld a 53-million dollar judgment against Delaware-based B-A-S-F for defrauding thousands of farmers nationwide. Three years ago, a jury found B-A-S-F marketed and priced the same herbicide as two different products. The company’s Tim Fitzpatrick disagrees with the verdict. Fitzpatrick says “BASF presented evidence that clearly demonstrated that Poast andPoast-Plus were not the same: they had different formulas, different patents, different EPA registrations. So we do intend to continue to appeal this case.” Douglas Nill, the attorney representing the farmers, says he’s confident the ruling will stand. Nill says “They’ve been repetitively arguing frivolous defenses that have been rejected unanimously by Minnesota and all appellate courts, and they’re simply engaged in a paper blizzard strategy to hold their ill-gotten money and delay payment to injured farmers.” Justice James Gilbert, in writing for the court, said there was competent evidence to reasonably sustain the verdict.