William McQuillen
Bloomberg
10/25/2010
Monsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company, was sued by West Virginia for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the state attorney general’s investigation of the sale of soybeans that can withstand Roundup weed killer.
West Virginia is looking into whether claims Monsanto makes about its Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are supported by test results. Second-generation Roundup Ready 2 Yield plants are priced significantly higher than the first-generation seeds, Attorney General Darrell McGraw said today in a statement.
In its civil enforcement action, the state is seeking an order barring Monsanto from selling products in West Virginia until it complies with its subpoena.
“I want to ensure there is a fair marketplace for West Virginia farmers,” McGraw said. “They need to know if it is worth extra money to buy new products that may not live up to the hype.”
St. Louis-based Monsanto said the attorney general’s office won’t agree to a protective order related to the confidential intellectual property information. The information sought is similar to other legal claims that are covered by a protective order, the company said…
The article continues at Bloomberg.
