St. Louis, Missouri
December 23, 2002
Monsanto (NYSE: MON) announced today that it has received
full U.S. regulatory clearance for its Bollgard II
insect-protected cotton technology. This announcement means that
U.S. cotton producers will have access to cotton seed containing
this technology for the 2003 planting season.
"Monsanto is pleased that regulatory agencies in the United
States and other countries have confirmed the food, feed and
environmental safety of this and other plant biotechnology
products, which are delivering tremendous value to growers and
the environment," said Robb Fraley, Ph.D., Chief Technology
Officer of Monsanto.
Bollgard II is the second-generation of insect-protected cotton
developed by Monsanto. This technology contains two different
insect-control genes, compared to the single insect-control gene
in its predecessor Bollgard.
"Bollgard II cotton is expected to provide the grower with
additional benefits including a broader spectrum of
insect-control, and increased defense against insect-resistance,
as well as similar agronomic advantages as its predecessor,
Bollgard cotton -- including increased yield and lint potential,
improved insect control, reduction in input costs, savings in
time, and reduced pesticide sprayings," Fraley said.
As part of the registration conditions, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) will require the same insect resistance
management programs that growers have been following the past
several years. Insect resistance management plans for Bollgard
and Bollgard II cotton are designed to maintain the
effectiveness of these products against the target insect pests.
These plans require planting a non- Bollgard cotton refuge
within a specific distance from each Bollgard cotton field to
serve as habitat for susceptible insects.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) also confirmed the food, feed and
environmental safety of this technology earlier this year.
Limited quantities of seed containing Monsanto's Bollgard II
technology will be available for the 2003 season.
The clearance of Bollgard II cotton by U.S. regulatory agencies
follows the successful completion of regulatory reviews by the
Australian government earlier this year. In September,
Australia's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR)
approved the commercial use of Bollgard II cotton in the growing
regions of New South Wales and southern Queensland.
Monsanto's original Bollgard insect-protected cotton product,
first marketed in 1996, is being sold commercially in nine
countries -- the United States, China, India, Mexico, Australia,
Argentina, Colombia, South Africa and Indonesia. The
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech
Applications (ISAAA) recently noted that biotech cotton acreage
was approximately 6.8 million hectares in 2001 or 16.8 million
acres. This is an increase of 28 percent from the 2000 biotech
cotton acreage, which was approximately 5.3 million hectares.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality.
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