Monsanto Company announced today the launch of FARMSOURCE.com, a state-of-the-art Internet site, search engine and e-commerce offering sure to grab the attention of U.S. growers, retailers and agriculturists desiring a simple and effective way to manage information and access services on-line.

FARMSOURCE.com will launch March 1. Growers and others attending the National Corn
Growers Association's Commodity Classic here will be among the first to sample
FARMSOURCE.com at Monsanto's exhibit, where four computers with Internet access have
been set up.

"The Internet has become the preferred communication method/information source for a
growing number of our customers,'' said Len Botkin, Monsanto Farmsource.com manager. ``To
meet the needs of these customers, we worked with them to develop a completely new on-line
resource that connects growers to retailers and retailers to Monsanto, creating a free online
network that gives U.S. users a comprehensive, easy-to-use source for important agricultural
information and services on the Internet.

Monsanto cited 1998 market research surveys, as well as results of USDA and Gallup polls, that
indicate that 20-25% of growers are currently on the Internet. In addition, a recent Monsanto
survey of over 400 U.S. growers found that 60% own computers and 31% are Internet-connected. What is most significant is that the Internet-connected growers have increased in one year by 70% or from 18% in l997 to 31% in 1998.

FARMSOURCE.com includes up-to-the-minute ag information, including local cash prices,
weather, commodities prices, and ag news -- all customized through a dynamic site to meet
personal interests. The site will offer business services for retailers that include on-line ordering
of Monsanto chemical products, automated monitoring of their Monsanto bulk product
inventories, on-line training and the ability to easily create a personalized web page for their
business on FARMSOURCE.

Other features include comprehensive product and label information about Monsanto's
agricultural products, and an agriculture search engine that makes it easy to find agriculture
information on the Internet. The ability to easily find agricultural information on the Internet
through the search engine on FARMSOURCE.com makes FARMSOURCE.com a portal site
for U.S. growers and retailers, said Botkin.

"Growers, retailers and distributors told us that access to information that is timely, accurate,
complete and relevant is essential to the long-term success of their businesses,'' Botkin said.
Technologies like the Internet can access more information than anyone could ever absorb."Key for the Internet user is the ability to quickly and easily find complete and accurate information on any relevant subject. FARMSOURCE helps users do exactly that -- it allows users to customize the site into a form that delivers exactly the information they desire.''

As a life sciences company, Monsanto is committed to finding solutions to the growing global
needs for food and health by sharing common forms of science and technology among
agriculture, nutrition and health. The company's 30,000 employees worldwide make and market
high-value agricultural products, pharmaceuticals and food ingredients.

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