Acala Cotton Seeds, Inc., an affiliate of Stoneville, has acquired the cotton seed assets of Germain's Cotton Seeds, Inc. of Fresno, California. Specifically, the agreement comprises the purchase of all Germain's cotton seed assets, including current commercial varieties, developmental pipeline materials, and a new base in Acala cotton breeding germplasm. As a result of this transaction, Acala will immediately introduce product offering consisting of several varieties currently registered by the California San Joaquin Valley Acala Board as well as several varieties currently registered in the country of Greece. Stoneville will manage the commercial Germain's products for Acala and have exclusive access to the breeding materials world-wide.

Currently, one Roundup Ready and three conventional Germain's varieties are available from Acala. New for 2002, GC-546RR is a full season Acala variety that is Roundup ReadyÒ. GC-546RR offers excellent fiber and is tolerant to Verticillium Wilt. In the conventional varieties, GC-505 and GC-500 represent top yielders that are tolerant to Verticillium Wilt; and GC-377 is a top yielding California Upland variety with Verticillium Wilt tolerance and high gin turn-out.

Stoneville President Thomas F. (Bud) Hughes says, "Ten years ago, Germain's had the number one Acala variety in the San Joaquin Valley-GC-510. Since that time, Germain's has continued an active breeding program in the SJV for improved Acala quality. Now, that same high-quality germplasm will be aggressively leveraged across every segment of the market.

"The most important result of the Germain's deal is the fact that it gives Stoneville researchers access to an Acala germplasm portfolio with high-quality fiber properties that will immediately complement, and ultimately bolster, all of Stoneville's breeding pipeline. Germain's is known for outstanding fiber quality. Our plan to breed the best of Stoneville's materials with the best of Germain's materials will in time produce a new series of elite cotton varieties and improve the competitiveness of Stoneville customers.

"This transaction, following Stoneville's acquisition of the Helena germplasm program late last year, is just another example of Stoneville's responsiveness to the call for improved fiber quality, and a further significant step in the direction of improving the market value of our raw cotton fiber."

Stoneville, which has been in the cotton breeding business for almost 80 years, can now address the needs of cotton producers across all of the four major markets of the U.S. Cotton Belt. Hughes explains, "The Mid-south states, centered out of Stoneville, Mississippi was of course our first region of focus and has always represented our core strength for breeding and production competency. Next, beginning ten years ago in the Southeast, our second regional focus was established by acquiring the germplasm programs of Northrup King, McNair and Coker, starting our Southeast breeding program, now out of Albany, Georgia.

"For the West Texas market, Stoneville acquired the stripper cotton breeding programs of Holland Cottonseed in 1997 and Brownfield Seed and Delinting Company in early 2000. Today, the Southwest breeding program is in Idalou, Texas. Finally, the Germain's germplasm will serve as a key to the Western cotton growing region of the Cotton Belt, and specifically the San Joaquin Valley of California, where high quality Acala-type germplasm is the dominant market. Sharing the best of each of these programs across the United States will undoubtedly produce some real wins for cotton growers."