In one of the most highly- anticipated U.S. agricultural seasons, Monsanto (NYSE: MON) remains focused on growing its business by capturing a greater share of the market through performance, not just through incremental growth that a larger market offers, Monsanto's Hugh Grant, chairman, president and chief executive officer, will highlight in a presentation to investors later today.

Grant's remarks will be delivered as part of a presentation at the Goldman Sachs' 2007 AgForum Conference in New York. During the conference, Grant will outline pre-season highlights for its U.S. seeds and traits business and underscore the six elements that will shape the gross-profit potential of Monsanto through 2010.

"The 2007 season is shaping up to be an important year for agriculture," said Grant. "While we'd expect numerous ag companies to benefit from the expected rising tide in corn acres, Monsanto's unique ability to deliver a total performance package - across our seed and trait portfolio - will continue to serve as a key growth differentiator for our business within this expanding market and into the next decade."

Six elements serve as platform for growth between now and 2010

As part of the presentation, Grant will also discuss how Monsanto's seeds and traits business is expected to be shaped by six key factors leading up to the next decade. These factors include: its U.S. and ex-U.S. corn seeds and traits business; its international traits business; its cotton business; its Seminis fruit and vegetable seed business; and its R&D pipeline. To learn more about these six growth contributors, please visit http://www.monsanto.com/.

"While it's still early in our fiscal year, we're on track and making real progress against each of these six factors," Grant said. "Our U.S. business remains focused on growing corn seed sales, increasing the penetration of our trait technologies, and accelerating the adoption of our stacked-trait products.

"Our farmer customers in the United States are rewarding us for our ability to breed a higher-yielding seed, and we're actively working to replicate these growth trends in key global markets," Grant said. "We're also focused on progressing the products within our best-in-class R&D pipeline, so that farmers can benefit from new traits that enhance yield and create added value."

Monsanto seeds and traits are in high demand

During the presentation, Grant will also provide an update on the outlook for Monsanto's U.S. business. Key highlights for its seeds and traits business
include:

Monsanto's branded U.S. corn seeds are in high demand:

• Pre-season estimates for the company's U.S. corn business signal that its national corn seed brands, DEKALB and Asgrow, could experience growth toward the upper end of its previously announced range of an increase of 1 to 2 market share points.

• The American Seeds Inc. (ASI) business, which is comprised of regional seed companies, is also expected to grow both organically and through acquisitions. Pre-season estimates suggest that ASI could experience
  organic growth of up to a half percent of the U.S. corn seed market.

Monsanto's U.S. trait technologies, including stacked combinations, are in high demand:

• Monsanto's national corn seed brands are sold out of the high-margin triple-trait corn product which offers farmers weed control and two forms of insect-protection in one seed.

• For the first time, based on the higher demand for its stacked trait offerings, the average bag sold by Monsanto's national corn seed brands now contains at least two traits.

• U.S. cotton farmers are demanding the company's second-generation, Roundup Ready Flex cotton technology, which offers enhanced weed control. Acreage planted with Roundup Ready Flex cotton, is expected to increase from roughly 14 percent of total planted U.S. cotton acres last year to an estimated 25 to 30 percent this season.

Monsanto Company a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.