New York, New York
May 15, 2008
Monsanto's foundation of seeds
and traits creates unmatched ag capabilities
Monsanto Company's (NYSE:
MON) role in delivering and accelerating innovation within
agriculture has enabled it to extend its leadership, Monsanto's
Executive Vice President, Carl Casale will tell investors today.
Casale will deliver his remarks as part of a presentation at the
BMO Capital Markets Ag & Protein Conference today in New York.
"We have extended our leadership by widening the gap through
global share growth, faster trait penetration and accelerated
expansion into new markets,"
Casale said. "From new agronomic traits in soybeans and corn to
traits that enhance yields through better tolerance to stress,
we will continue to deliver new tools to farmers and expect to
launch four new game-changing platforms through the middle of
the next decade."
Casale's presentation will discuss how Monsanto's strong
leadership and innovation create value and reduce risk for its
farmer customers through improved yields and crop performance.
Casale will also discuss how Monsanto's yield-per-acre boosting
technology can make a meaningful difference in today's
supply-demand environment. There has been a fundamental shift in
the agricultural landscape fueled by three main factors
including, increased protein demand from rising incomes, demand
for grain from China and biofuels.
The debate over using grain for food, feed or fuel is not an
"either or" discussion, rather it's how do we use grain for all
of those needs, Casale will state.
"As a leading technology provider in agriculture," Casale said,
"we are focused on delivering products that can increase yield
while reducing some of the inherent production risks on the
farm. This approach allows farmers to get more out of each acre
and ultimately use yield at their discretion."
Extending Leadership
Casale will also highlight how Monsanto's leadership, R&D
pipeline, and strong cash position extends its competitive lead.
These areas include:
-- Maximizing Monsanto's Seed
Footprint - Monsanto's investment in seed and traits has created
high-value growth opportunities across its core crops of corn,
soy, cotton and vegetables. In its corn seed platform alone,
Monsanto's DEKALB brand has realized a gain of 15 to 16 share
points in the United States since 2001. Outside the United
States, Monsanto's high-yielding, high-performing seed assets
provide it with a footprint for the company's biotech traits. By
2012, Monsanto believes it has the opportunity to double the
penetration of its
current biotech traits from its 2007 levels.
-- Strong R&D Pipeline - Monsanto expects to further extend its
leadership through the launch of four game-changing technologies
through the middle of the next decade. These technologies,
including Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans, SmartStax corn,
drought tolerant and nitrogen-utilization corn are being
developed to drive yields to meet global demands.
-- Translating Cash into Extending Competitive Lead - Monsanto
has consistently re-invested its cash for future growth or
returned cash to shareowners through dividends and share
repurchase programs. In fiscal year 2008, Monsanto expects to
generate close to $2.5 billion of operating cash to invest in
its next wave of growth.
Webcast Information
Casale's presentation slides and simultaneous audio webcast of
the presentation may be accessed by visiting the company's web
site at
http://www.monsanto.com/investors. Following today's live
broadcast set for noon ET, a replay of the webcast will be
available for two weeks through this same link.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality.
DEKALB, SmartStax and Roundup Ready 2 Yield are trademarks of
Monsanto Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. |
|