THOUGH chemical manufacturer DuPont withdrew its Benlate DF fungicide from the market in 1991 and subsequently paid about $500 million to settle nearly 2,000 claims filed by growers, its troubles are not yet over.

In the first of more than 400 Benlate damage suits, a jury in Arkansas found the company liable to the tune of $10.7 million for damage to crops by the fungicide that was contaminated by atrazine herbicide.

Earlier, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had rebuked DuPont, saying the company's official had left "erroneous impressions" by testifying the firm was cooperating fully with EPA's review of the fungicide.