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Ag groups organizing to fight nuisance lawsuits

Ag leaders from across the US fear the rise in nuisance lawsuits pose a threat to the US ag sector.

Representatives from across the US were in North Carolina on Friday to discuss how the ag can work together to fight the lawsuits.

American Farm Bureau president Zippy Duvall says he takes the attacks personally.  “If it’s in your backyard today – it’ll be in my backyard tomorrow,” he says.  “This is just not about you.  This is not just about nuisance.  It’s not just about money.”

Delaware ag commissioner, and former USDA Undersecretary, Michael Scuse says nuisance lawsuits put agriculture under attack.

He says in many states ag is the top economic contributor.  “How will the small communities across the United States survive if in fact these suits continue to put producers out of business,” he asks.

North Carolina state representative Jimmy Dixon says Smithfield Foods, who has been a target of the lawsuits, has said they will NOT give in to these lawsuits.  “Smithfield Foods has said they will not settle,” he says.

At the same time the ag officials were meeting Friday, a federal jury in Raleigh was awarding nearly 474 million dollars in another nuisance suit against Smithfield Foods. That case follows two previous rulings against Smithfield, which says it will appeal.

The amount of the award will be reduced under a state law that limits punitive damages.