When Stanley Jones applied Loyant to his rice crops in 2018, he expected it to get rid of barnyardgrass. Loyant is an herbicide intended to be used on rice crops, a product of Corteva, Inc. and Corteva Agriscience, LLC. Instead, the complaint for this class action alleges, it was ineffective, and following the company’s subsequent advice “resulted in some fields being so overgrown with barnyardgrass and weeds that [those] fields were a total loss.”
The class for this action is all persons and entities in Arkansas who bought and used Loyant on rice crops for commercial use from 2018 through the present.
Weeds are a problem for rice farmers. The more rice that can be grown on an acre of land, the higher the farmer’s profit. The complaint points out that “if grass or other weeds occupy space in a given acre of a rice field where a rice plant could otherwise grow and produce rice, the amount of rice harvested from that acre is less compared to if there were no grass or weeds…” Also, damaged rice plants produce less rice or no rice at all.
Loyant is intended to control certain grass and weeds that are found among rice crops. The most common these types of plants is barnyardgrass. Loyant is advertised as being nearly 100% effective against barnyardgrass.
Stanley Jones of Hoxie, Arkansas bought Loyant for use on his rice-growing properties in the 2018 growing season. However, he claims that it was far from effective and that when he applied it, the barnyardgrass and weeds did not die.
Jones complained to Corteva, and the complaint alleges that employees “encouraged Jones to flood his rice fields, apply fertilizer, and wait for the Loyant to work.” But the barnyardgrass and weeds continued to grow, the complaint claims: “In fact, following [Corteva’s] advice only served to make the barnyardgrass and weeds worse in Jones’s fields and ultimately resulted in some fields being so overgrown with barnyardgrass that [those] fields were a total loss.”
The same thing happened to thousands of other farmers in Arkansas, the complaint charges, causing them to lose not only the money they spent on the Loyant but also the money they would have gotten for the rice crops they were not able to grow and sell in 2018.
The complaint says, “There are over 2,500 rice farms in Arkansas, 96% of which are family owned.”
The sole claim for relief is breach of express warranty.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Agriculture
Most Recent Case Event
Loyant Rice Herbicide Does Not Kill Barnyardgrass Arkansas Complaint
November 15, 2021
When Stanley Jones applied Loyant to his rice crops in 2018, he expected it to get rid of barnyardgrass. Loyant is an herbicide intended to be used on rice crops, a product of Corteva, Inc. and Corteva Agriscience, LLC. Instead, the complaint for this class action alleges, it was ineffective, and following the company’s subsequent advice “resulted in some fields being so overgrown with barnyardgrass and weeds that [those] fields were a total loss.”
Loyant Rice Herbicide Does Not Kill Barnyardgrass Arkansas ComplaintCase Event History
Loyant Rice Herbicide Does Not Kill Barnyardgrass Arkansas Complaint
November 15, 2021
When Stanley Jones applied Loyant to his rice crops in 2018, he expected it to get rid of barnyardgrass. Loyant is an herbicide intended to be used on rice crops, a product of Corteva, Inc. and Corteva Agriscience, LLC. Instead, the complaint for this class action alleges, it was ineffective, and following the company’s subsequent advice “resulted in some fields being so overgrown with barnyardgrass and weeds that [those] fields were a total loss.”
Loyant Rice Herbicide Does Not Kill Barnyardgrass Arkansas Complaint