Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
January 10, 2006

BASF Canada Agricultural Products announced today the commercial availability of CLEARFIELD® lentils for the 2006 growing season. CLEARFIELD lentils are the first herbicide-tolerant lentil varieties in Canada, and
their development and commercialization is the result of a joint venture between BASF, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and the Crop Development Centre (CDC)  at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. The signing of a formal distribution agreement between BASF and SPG in late December 2005 facilitates commercial availability of the CLEARFIELD lentil technology this year.

“We are thrilled to be able to extend our CLEARFIELD Production System to the lentil market. CLEARFIELD
lentils are a much-anticipated technology, providing growers with exceptional, broad-spectrum weed control in their lentil crop for the first time,” says Scott Chapman, CLEARFIELD Business Manager for BASF. “Our ongoing commitment to the development of the CLEARFIELD trait in western Canada is sustained by the benefits we know it brings to growers.”

Two red lentil CLEARFIELD varieties will be available to Select seed growers this spring, and ODYSSEY® will be the first herbicide registered for use on these CLEARFIELD varieties.

BASF funded CDC’s development of the CLEARFIELD® trait and owns the CLEARFIELD lentil intellectual property. SPG has represented the growers’ interests in the technology’s development and will be responsible for the initial release of CLEARFIELD lentils through its variety release program.

“Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and the Crop Development Centre have been instrumental in bringing CLEARFIELD lentils to market,” said Jeff Bertholet, Seed and Technical Development Manager for BASF. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with these organizations on the development and
commercialization of additional CLEARFIELD lentil varieties.”

As with all other CLEARFIELD production systems, a CLEARFIELD Commitment™ must be signed annually by any grower wishing to seed CLEARFIELD lentils, helping to ensure long-term sustainability of this system. In addition, a CLEARFIELD Confirm™ test has been included as a condition of use in the CLEARFIELD Commitment. The CLEARFIELD Confirm test is an annual seed test at a BASF-certified lab prior to seeding to ensure the seed has adequate herbicide-tolerance. This is an important step in preserving the quality of the seed.

The announcement of CLEARFIELD lentils’ commercial availability was made today at the Pulse Days event in Saskatoon. Hosted by SPG, Pulse Days is the biggest pulse event in the world.

About BASF Agricultural Products division
With sales of €3,354 million in 2004, BASF’s Agricultural Products division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve yields and quality of agricultural crops. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF’s Agricultural Products division is to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually all industries, BASF’s intelligent solutions and high-value products help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to open up additional market opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. In 2004, BASF had approximately 82,000 employees and posted sales of more than €37 billion. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF) and Zurich (AN).