CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. _ A trial began in federal court Monday where Missouri's largest peach farmer blames severe economic losses on damage from the weedkiller dicamba, and on Bayer and BASF, agribusiness companies that have helped usher the technology to prominence.
Stakes are high in the case, filed by farmer Bill Bader, with an outcome expected to influence the pipeline of additional dicamba litigation moving through court from around the country.
"Everyone's focused on this first trial," said Paul Lesko, a St. Louis-based attorney involved in other dicamba lawsuits. "The outcome of the Bader trial will be very important for all dicamba actions going forward."
