St. Louis, Missouri
July 24, 2008
Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced today that it has
received regulatory approvals for Roundup Ready 2 Yield™
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®
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® 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.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality.
Roundup Ready 2 Yield is a trademark of Monsanto Company and its
wholly owned subsidiaries. |
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