Scotts, Mississippi
March 28, 2005
Brazilian President signs biosafety law and
regulatory agency, clears hurdle for sales of Bollgard trait for
cottonseed
Delta and Pine Land
Company (NYSE: DLP; “D&PL”), a leading commercial breeder,
producer and marketer of cotton planting seed, today
announced that Brazilian President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva
signed a law governing biosafety in the Brazilian market. This
action follows Brazil’s National Commission For Biosafety
(CTNBio) approval on March 17 of the Bollgard gene for sale in
cotton.
“Brazil’s new biosafety law, coupled with CNTBio’s approval,
establish the framework for D&PL to register our varieties
containing the Bollgard gene,” said Tom Jagodinski, President
and Chief Executive Officer. “While we await the final
regulations, we believe, under current regulations, transgenic
varieties may be available for sale in 2007.”
D&PL conventional products are among the top selling cotton
varieties in Brazil. The Company has the license to develop and
commercialize varieties containing Monsanto’s Bollgard and
Roundup Ready genes in Brazil. Commercialization of varieties
containing the traits, when approved, will be achieved through
MDM Sementes De Algodão Ltda., D&PL’s joint venture with the
Maeda S.A. Agroindustrial. There are approximately 2.2 million
acres planted in cotton in
Brazil.
Delta and Pine Land Company is a leading commercial
breeder, producer and marketer of cotton planting seed.
Headquartered in
Scott,
Mississippi, with multiple offices in eight states and
facilities in several foreign countries, D&PL also breeds,
produces and markets soybean planting seed in the U.S. |