Brand continues to gain momentum since 1998 seed introduction

For the eighth consecutive year, more acres of FiberMax® Cotton Seed were planted by U.S. cotton producers than the year before.

According to a newly issued U.S. Department of Agriculture acreage report, FiberMax varieties accounted for 26.7 percent of all U.S. cotton acreage in 2006. The report, “Cotton Varieties Planted – 2006 Crop,” was issued in September by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service Cotton Program division in Memphis.

For the third consecutive year, FiberMax cotton varieties, marketed by Bayer CropScience, were the second most-planted in the country.

“FiberMax continues to make market share gains each year because of quality germplasm and yield potential,” said Jeff Brehmer, FiberMax marketing manager. “We will continue to bring premium varieties to market focused on both fiber quality and yield to meet demands in the coming years.”

Meanwhile, AFD™ Cotton Seed varieties, owned and marketed by Bayer CropScience, kept its fifth-place position in the market and finished 2006 with 2.5 percent of planted acres.

Combined, FiberMax and AFD varieties now account for 29.2 percent of all U.S. cotton acres, up from 28.3 percent in 2005.

FiberMax cotton seed varieties were introduced in 1998. Along with AFD, the varieties have a wide range of technologies that fit all types of management practices.

USDA compiled estimates of the percentages of the various cotton varieties planted in the United States for 2006 from informal surveys made by the Cotton Program Classing Offices of ginner, seed dealers, Extension agents and other knowledgeable sources.

For more information on FiberMax cottonseed and the Certified FiberMax Cotton® program visit www.CottonExperts.com and www.CertifiedFiberMax.com.

Bayer CropScience LP is the U.S. business of Bayer CropScience, which has its global headquarters in Monheim, Germany. Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 6 billion, is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 19,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries, ensuring proximity to dealers and consumers.