$300 million Bayer dicamba settlement finalized for soybean farmers; claims portal is to be open by Jan. 1

"Soybean farmers whose fields were injured by off-target dicamba movement in the past six years could file claims for compensation as early as late December, after the details of a $300 million settlement with Monsanto (now a subsidiary of Bayer) were finalized Wednesday," Emily Unglesbee reports for DTN/The Progressive Farmer. "The settlement is part of Bayer's efforts to settle ongoing lawsuits involving its herbicides, including multi-district litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri over dicamba injury claims."

BASF, the other major dicamba producer, is not included in the settlement, which was announced in June. "The settlement will make $300 million from Bayer available to any soybean farmers who can document yield loss from dicamba injury between 2015 and 2020," Unglesbee reports. A website where farmers can file their claim is expected to be live in late December, and no later than Jan. 1. Farmers will have 150 days to file claims after the website opens.

Farmers who grow other crops or have other plants injured are settling claims separately with Bayer, and are not eligible for damages from this settlement.