Post by gakaren on Mar 7, 2015 8:42:11 GMT -5
From Argentina Group!
The Argentine Rural Confederation, the country’s largest farmers association, is telling farmers to reject paying royalties for future output when buying seeds from Monsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company.
The confederation, which represents 109,000 farmers, called a contract provision from the St Louis-based company “abusive.” Monsanto is asking buyers of its soybean seed Intacta RR2 Pro to agree to pay royalties for output through grain handlers’ collections in Argentina.
For the past decade Argentine farmers have used Monsanto seeds from previous harvests without paying royalties in accordance with the country’s seed law. Intacta, which is resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide and repels insects, can produce higher crop yields. Argentina is the world’s largest exporter of soybean derivatives and expects to produce 58 million metric tons in the 2014-15 season.
“Farmers have rights under the seed law granting the free use of their own seed,” the statement distributed to farmers says. “We alert growers to avoid signing.”
The confederation, which represents 109,000 farmers, called a contract provision from the St Louis-based company “abusive.” Monsanto is asking buyers of its soybean seed Intacta RR2 Pro to agree to pay royalties for output through grain handlers’ collections in Argentina.
For the past decade Argentine farmers have used Monsanto seeds from previous harvests without paying royalties in accordance with the country’s seed law. Intacta, which is resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide and repels insects, can produce higher crop yields. Argentina is the world’s largest exporter of soybean derivatives and expects to produce 58 million metric tons in the 2014-15 season.
“Farmers have rights under the seed law granting the free use of their own seed,” the statement distributed to farmers says. “We alert growers to avoid signing.”
