I think your remembering the Starlink fiasco. Starlink corn was supposed to be channeled to a domestic market that was used for livestock feed. Problem was that most farmers weren't told that before they planted it. I saw bags at the time containing the traited seed and no mention of the fact it should be fed. As a matter of fact I know of farmers who were visited by salesmen after harvest to get signatures on paperwork saying they would channel the corn to the proper channels, this was after the corn had left the farm.

I don't believe that Syngenta alerted any producers that the corn didn't have, or wouldn't have, full export clearance. They led producers to believe it was just another trait that was to be used with no restrictions.