With billions paid out in litigation and more court cases pending, Bayer is evaluating whether the legacy Roundup brand will be part of the company’s future. Bayer CEO Bill Anderson told the Wall Street Journal a decision will be made in a matter of months. In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Bayer Crop Science Vice President of Stakeholder Relations Martha Smith said it is not feasible to continue domestic production of Roundup unless changes are made. “We are not making money from the standpoint of selling glyphosate or selling Roundup because of how high these litigation expenses are,” said Smith. “There doesn’t appear to be an end in the future unless we are able to get more states like what North Dakota did to pass legislation or to get that relief from the Supreme Court.” A bill seeking the preservation of crop protection tools is awaiting final approval in the North Dakota Legislature and will soon be heading to Governor Armstrong for his signature. With split decisions in federal court, Bayer is also petitioning the Supreme Court to review this issue, and that should be known by mid-summer. Bayer supplies 40 percent of the glyphosate worldwide. Smith said farmers would be impacted if that supply went away. “I think we all understand supply and demand and what happens in a situation like that. The other suppliers for this are primarily in China, where the generic glyphosate comes from.Of course, we all know what’s happening with the tariffs and other things right now.” The full interview with Martha Smith can be found on the Red River Farm Network website.
