Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski reported earlier this week that, “The first of tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits is about to go to trial against Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta over its decision to introduce a genetically engineered corn seed variety to the U.S. market before China had approved it for imports.

“The lawsuits allege that Syngenta’s move wrecked an increasingly important export market for U.S. corn, and that the resulting price drops hurt all producers. Court filings show that Syngenta aggressively marketed the seeds even when it knew that Chinese approval was going to be a problem.

“Plaintiffs’ experts estimate the economic damage to be about $5 billion, while Syngenta denies its actions caused any losses for farmers.”

The AP article noted that, “The first test case goes to trial Monday in state court in Minneapolis. The second goes to trial in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 5. The two cases are meant to provide guidance for how the complex web of litigation in state and federal courts could be resolved.”

Mr. Karnowski added that, “With U.S. government approval, Syngenta began selling Viptera in the U.S. for the 2011 growing season. But China didn’t approve it until December 2014.

“Court papers show that Syngenta initially assured stakeholders that China would approve MIR162 in time for the 2011 crop. But the date kept slipping. Some exporters sent shipments containing the trait to China anyway. After two years of accepting them, China began rejecting them in late 2013.

“One expert working for the plaintiffs estimated the damage to U.S. farmers to be $5.77 billion; another pegged it at $4.68 billion.”

This week’s article indicated that, “Most plaintiffs didn’t grow Viptera, but China excluded their grain, too, because elevators and shippers typically mix grain from large numbers of suppliers, making it difficult to source corn that was free of the trait. So they say all farmers were hurt by the resulting price drop.”

Lee Bergquist reported on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday that, “Lee Kinnard’s new barn stretches the length of six football fields. It’s so big he once flew a drone inside to get a bird’s eye view of all the cows.

“The family farm milks 6,500 cows in Kewaunee County, where the cattle population has grown faster than anywhere in the state.

“Since 1983, cattle numbers in the county have jumped by 62% to 97,000 at a time when the statewide cattle population has tumbled by 20%, according to the state agriculture department.”

The Kinnard dairy farm stages cows in long barns with a sleeping area made of a recyclable sand mixture for comfort and stability. Photo by Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The article noted that, “But the size of dairy herds and managing cattle waste have become increasingly contentious in northeastern Wisconsin and figure prominently in a larger debate over how best to address water problems tied to farming.

“Tucked beneath Door County, Kewaunee County has emerged as the flash point in these tensions. At the heart of the debate: Can manure from so many cattle be safely spread on the land?”

Bergquist pointed out that, “But becoming one of the state’s largest dairy farms has wounded relations with some neighbors and spurred a protracted court fight. Also, by virtue of its size and the attention it receives, Kinnard Farms has helped fuel controversy over truck traffic, odors and pollution from farming when it is done on a grand scale.”

The Journal Sentinel article added that, “In Wisconsin, the number of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, has grown by 400% from 50 in 2000 to 252 in 2016, agency figures show, and has played a key role in growing milk production as farm numbers are falling.

“In a report, University of Wisconsin-Madison economists estimated that farms of 500 or more cows accounted for 40% of state milk production in 2013 compared to 22% in 2007.”

For more on state activity relating to large animal production operations, see these BartellPowell updates: Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and North Carolina.

An update on Monday from the Iowa State University Extension Service indicated that, “Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has published an online Introduction to High Tunnels (HORT 3070) course for producers interested in high tunnel production. The course includes five modules designed to assist producers with the decision of whether or not to construct a high tunnel on a farm.

“‘This course will walk users through how to properly select a location, test soil, determine what crops to grow in a high tunnel, expected costs and potential returns from your high tunnel and resources to help in the process,’ said Christa Hartsook, small farms program coordinator for ISU Extension and Outreach.”

The news update added that, “This course was developed for those wanting to learn more about high tunnel production, but unable to attend a face-to-face training. The self-directed course allows users to complete the video lessons at their own pace. Worksheets at the end of each module provide users the opportunity to enter information specific to their own operation. Once submitted, those same worksheets provide a method for individual feedback from the course instructors, Hartsook and Joe Hannan, commercial horticulture specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.”

Jacob Bunge reported yesterday at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as secretary of the Agriculture Department, ending a three-month vacancy atop the sprawling agency as the food sector confronts potential changes to U.S. trade policy and farm-level regulations.

“Mr. Perdue, a Republican who grew up on a dairy farm and has managed agribusinesses, was confirmed in an 87-11 vote, garnering significant support from Democratic senators who saw him as an experienced manager who will maintain supports for U.S. farmers navigating a crop-price slump.

“Awaiting Mr. Perdue is the worst farm-economy slump in decades, with U.S. net farm income projected to fall for a fourth consecutive year to $62.3 billion, half the record $123 billion farmers earned in 2013, according to USDA projections. The agricultural sector, which heavily relies on exports, has also watched warily as President Trump’s administration has moved ahead with an overhaul of U.S. trade policy, including withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which farm groups generally had backed.”

Mr. Bunge added that, “The vote makes Mr. Perdue among the last members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet to be confirmed, though many other senior vacancies remain. Robert Lighthizer, Mr. Trump’s nominee for U.S. trade representative, and Alexander Acosta, nominated to head the Labor Department, still await confirmation.

“It also fills a gap that troubled some crop and livestock producers across U.S. farm states, which heavily factored into Mr. Trump’s electoral victory in November. The president’s focus on deregulation resonated with farmers and ranchers who chafed under federal environmental and regulatory restrictions that some saw as onerous.”