BASF announced a new Clearfield technology approval today.

BASF Agricultural Products has received approval from Canadian regulatory authorities that supports the introduction of the CLEARFIELD Production System into confectionary sunflowers in the United States. This latest approval is the final step in a three-step process for CLEARFIELD sunflowers which included approvals by U.S. regulatory authorities of CLEARFIELD sunflower oil for food use in 2003 and approval of LEARFIELD sunflower meal for feed use in the U.S. earlier in 2005.

BASF also made an announcement about its stewardship of Clearfield technology regarding a case with Louisiana rice growers.

BASF continues its commitment to protecting the effectiveness of its CLEARFIELD Production System, as demonstrated by the pursuit of a stewardship case involving rice growers in Louisiana. BASF successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against growers in Kinder, Louisiana, who admitted to farming over 700
acres of CLEARFIELD CL-161 rice without proper authorization from BASF. The order, which was obtained from the U.S. District Court in Louisiana, prevents the growers from planting or selling the harvested rice and from otherwise infringing BASF intellectual property rights in the CLEARFIELD rice technology. “This injunction was necessary to preserve the integrity and viability of the CLEARFIELD Production System for the overwhelming majority of rice farmers who have appropriately – and legally – used the technology,” said Jason Ward, CLEARFIELD market manager with BASF.