MARTINEZ, Calif. — Minutes before opening arguments were set to begin in a state court trial over allegations that Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup causes cancer, Bayer AG and plaintiffs counsel agreed to postpone the case to continue global settlement talks.  

“The parties have reached an agreement to continue the Caballero case in California Superior Court for Contra Costa County,” said a spokesperson for Bayer, which owns Monsanto, in a statement. “The continuance is intended to provide room for the parties to continue the mediation process in good faith under the auspices of Ken Feinberg, and avoid the distractions that can arise from trials.”