Monsanto Company News

Monsanto Announces Key Regulatory Approvals for Roundup Ready 2 Yield(TM) Soybeans; Product Remains on Track for 2009 Launch

ST. LOUIS, July 24 PRNewswire-FirstCall — Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced today that it has received regulatory approvals for Roundup Ready 2 Yield(TM) soybeans in Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the company noted the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a positive scientific opinion concluding Roundup Ready 2 Yield is safe for import as food or feed. Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are the second generation of the popular Roundup Ready(R) technology in soybeans and offer increased yields.

"These regulatory decisions by Mexico and Europe represent significant steps forward in delivering Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans to our customers," according to Brett Begemann, Monsanto's executive vice president of global commercial business. "Farmers have used Roundup Ready(R) soybeans for more than 10 years to achieve unsurpassed weed control. Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans have increased yields, and will advance farmers' ability to meet the world's growing food, feed and fuel needs."

Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans have now been approved in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand, says Jerry Hjelle, Monsanto's regulatory vice president.

"These recent approvals add to the list of countries that have reviewed and concluded that Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are safe," he explains. "The positive EFSA opinion on safety is an important step toward gaining approval within the European Union. Moreover, we are working diligently to achieve regulatory clearance in other markets in anticipation of a 2009 release."

In four years of testing, Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans have demonstrated a consistent yield advantage of 7 percent to 11 percent when compared with its predecessor, Roundup Ready soybeans. The four-year average yield increase of Roundup Ready 2 Yield over its first-generation counterpart was 9 percent.

Monsanto's Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans will be introduced on 1 million to 2 million acres for the 2009 season as part of a controlled commercial release, followed by a large-scale product launch of 5 million to 6 million acres scheduled for 2010.

About Monsanto Company

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. For more information on Monsanto, see: http://www.monsanto.com.

Note to editors: Roundup Ready 2 Yield is a trademark of Monsanto Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries.

SOURCE Monsanto Company

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