London, United Kingdom
March 10, 2009
Monsanto's historic investment in research and development
in breeding and biotechnology has contributed to a
24 percent compound annual growth rate for the company's Seeds
and Genomics segment since 2001. This is one of the key messages
Kerry Preete, Monsanto's Vice President of International
Commercial, will tell investors today as part of a
presentation at the Credit Suisse 14th Annual Global Ag
Productivity Conference in London.
"Our R&D investment in technology has allowed us to build a
robust pipeline of game-changing products focused on yield and
stress," Preete will say. "We continue to be the leading company
delivering innovations to farmers that help them maximize their
farm's potential. That technology leadership has allowed us to
commit to more than doubling our gross profit from 2007 through
2012 as we expand the availability of our technologies to
farmers around the world."
The company recently applied to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for approval of its
drought-tolerant corn product, following submission to the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) last December. It also has
completed submissions to the relevant Canadian agencies. In its
final pipeline phase, this first-ever biotech drought-tolerant
corn is part of a family of drought-tolerant products Monsanto
plans to bring to the market over the next decade. This marks
another key milestone in bringing this product one step closer
to farmers and makes it the only dryland, drought-tolerant corn
product to have regulatory submissions both to the FDA and the
USDA.
Two new technologies emerging from Monsanto's R&D pipeline are
Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ soybeans and SmartStax™ corn. Both
products are expected to change the face of farming and bring
farmers new tools to enhance productivity. SmartStax will be the
most durable and complete on-farm package for weed and pest
management, and will be the platform for the company's future
corn technologies. Roundup Ready 2 Yield is expected to deliver
a 7 to 11 percent yield benefit and will be the trait platform
for future yield-enhancing soybean technologies.
Preete will note that the technologies that have lifted yields,
lowered costs and increased productivity for U.S. farmers are
rapidly becoming available throughout Latin America,
particularly for new corn traits in Brazil and Argentina. "The
combination of our high quality hybrids with new tools for
insect protection through biotechnology have allowed us to gain
share in Latin America this fiscal year, and have set the stage
for the acceleration of the penetration of new trait
technologies as we look to 2012," he will say.
Monsanto's
R&D Pipeline
Discovering. Delivering. Yielding.
As a company 100
percent focused on agriculture, delivering
innovation to the farm is the focus of Monsanto’s
R&D. Through investments in
breeding and
biotechnology, we’re working hard to deliver
products that make farmers more productive and
profitable. We invest more than $2 million a day to
discover and deliver innovative technologies that
make a difference to farmers and the land they farm.
Our research supports both the agronomic and the
value-added needs of our customers. By investing in
products that make a difference for the farm, we’re
supporting the future of agriculture and the future
of farming. |
Pipeline Updates for 2009
Corn Yield Drought 1 Tolerant
(Drought-tolerant Corn)
Phase: 3 to 4
In the fourth-annual R&D pipeline
update, the company’s
drought-tolerant corn – the
first-ever biotech crop with that
trait – moved into Phase 4, the last
phase before commercialization. This
phase includes development and
testing of best trait and germplasm
combinations for commercial launch.
Genuity™ SmartStax™ Corn
Phase: 3 to 4
Genuity™ SmartStax™ corn is the
first, most durable and
highest-yielding package for total
weed and bug control in corn. In the
fourth-annual R&D pipeline update,
Genuity™ SmartStax™ moved into Phase
4, the final step prior to the
product’s planned 2010 commercial
launch, pending regulatory
approvals. This phase includes
development and testing of best
trait and germplasm combinations for
commercial launch.
Soy Yield Intrinsic Development
(Higher Yielding Soybean)
Phase: 2 to 3
Higher-yielding soybeans moved into
Phase 3 – and another step closer to
farmers’ fields – in the
fourth-annual pipeline update.
Regulatory trials are planned for
this summer.
Dicamba Glufosinate Cotton
(Dicamba tolerant cotton)
Phase: 1 to 2
Monsanto’s Dicamba-resistant cotton
has moved to Phase 2, where it will
be undergoing lab and field testing
of genes in plants to select
commercial product candidates and to
meet regulatory requirements.
New Projects
Two new products were added to
Monsanto’s R&D pipeline in the
fourth annual update.
Second-generation, insect-protected
Genuity™ Roundup Ready 2 Yield™
soybeans and insect-protect, Roundup
Ready sugarcane
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Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality.
Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and
large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while
conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water
and energy. To learn more about our business and our
commitments, please visit:
www.monsanto.com . |
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