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Douglas J. Dorsey -
Monsanto Company - USA |
August 2002 |
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Could you please
remind us briefly why and how Monsanto got into the seed
business? |
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Monsanto Company
introduced our Roundup Ready soybean technology and
Bollgard insect-protected cotton technology, the first
commercial products
developed through biotechnology, in 1996. At the time these
technologies
were made commercially available to our customers, Monsanto
was working
primarily through licensing agreements with seed companies -
to ensure that
the growers would have access to these technologies in the
varieties that
met the needs of their operations. Today, Monsanto works
closely with more
than 200 seed company licensees in the United States to
provide growers with access to these important traits
developed through biotechnology.
In the late 1990s, Monsanto acquired leading seed companies
like Asgrow,
DEKALB, Holdens and Corn States. Today, these acquisitions
have provided our company with the ability to broaden the
availability of the first wave of
traits developed through biotechnology - like our Roundup
Ready trait in corn and soybeans, as well as our YieldGard
Corn Borer trait.
To date, these companies have played a leading role in the
introduction of
technology and have allowed our company to extend trait
introduction into
key global markets. This has allowed us to create broader seed
platforms
quickly. In turn, these platforms allow us to better connect
our traits to the needs of growers and processors, and allow
us to more quickly anticipate
new markets or specific trends within a marketplace.
In time, we believe that our seed brands and our licensees
will pave the way
for the introduction of future traits developed through
biotechnology as well as other enhancements made in the
commodity crops. |
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