The first of what is expected to be several lawsuits against Swiss agriculture company Syngenta AG was decided Friday. A jury awarded $217.7 million in compensatory damages to farmers involved in the class action suit.

The lawsuit was filed by four Kansas farmers who represented more than 7,000 farmers. They claim Syngenta’s sale of Agrisure Viptera, a strain of insect-resistant genetically-modified corn, caused “catastrophic damage” to the American corn industry.

Although approved for sale in the U.S., China had not yet approved use of Viptera corn in imports. When American farmers began to export their corn to China, the strain was detected.

As a result, China stopped buying all American corn.

Lawyers for the corn farmers claim it cost the growers nationally $5.77 billion in damages.

After the verdict was handed down Friday, Syngenta issued a statement detailing their disappointment.

“It will only serve to deny American farmers access to future technologies even when they are fully approved in the U.S. The case is without merit, and we will move forward with an appeal and continue to defend the rights of American farmers to access safe and effective U.S.- approved technologies,” the statement read.

Syngenta said they commercialized Viptera in full-compliance with U.S. regulatory and legal requirements, including those set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Viptera had also received approval in the key import markets recommended at the time by the National Corn Growers Association and other industry associations,” the statement said. “Syngenta believes that American farmers should have access to the latest U.S.-approved technology to help them increase their productivity and yield. American farmers shouldn’t have to rely on a foreign government to decide what products they can use on their farms.”

The lawsuit is expected to be the first of several class action suits against Syngenta, according to DTN/Progressive Farmer.

A second case, this one on behalf of 60,000 farmers, is set for trial July 10 in Minnesota.

DTN/Progressive Farmer reports official lawsuits have been filed on behalf of farmers in 22 states, including Texas.