Agricore and American Cyanamid Company have signed a global agreement for the development, commercialization and marketing of new, high performance, herbicide-tolerant canola varieties for the CLEARFIELD* Production System.

This agreement utilizes Cyanamid's expertise in herbicide tolerant crops and weed control, and Agricore's expertise in marketing, distribution, and managing a canola seed program. Agricore will market the new CLEARFIELD canola varieties that are developed.

"We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with Agricore,'' says Dwight More, Global Director for CLEARFIELD canola, oilseed rape and sunflowers. "Thanks to this agreement growers will soon have access to new canola varieties that will provide improved yields, agronomics, and enhanced disease resistance along with the extended weed control benefits of the CLEARFIELD Production System.''

This multi-faceted collaboration will create new CLEARFIELD canola varieties and research to develop new herbicide tolerant genetics for canola. The CLEARFIELD Production System for canola represents the latest advances beyond SMART® canola, including new seed varieties, new custom-designed herbicides and new farm management opportunities. As a result of this agreement, Agricore customers will be able to access new high performance varieties designed for use with ODYSSEY® and PURSUIT® ULTRA herbicides that provide broad-spectrum weed control from planting to flowering.

"Agricore has recently completed an agreement with the University of Alberta to conduct the research relating to the CLEARFIELD canola agreement,'' says Dick Klaffke, manager of Research and Development for Agricore. "The experience and proven track record of the University of Alberta in canola breeding will help ensure that the project is a success.''

Brassica napus (Argentine type) CLEARFIELD canola varieties developed by Agricore at the University of Alberta will also be available through the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. Agricore also has the rights, outside of Canada, to sublicense the CLEARFIELD canola varieties developed through this research. Cyanamid will have the rights to any new tolerance genes identified.

"The CLEARFIELD canola varieties resulting from this work will be important additions to the canola varieties being offered to customers by Agricore,'' says Bob Hiebert, manager of Agricore's Seed Business. "The first commercial varieties resulting from this agreement are projected to be available as early as 2002.''

CLEARFIELD canola is one of the key crops in the CLEARFIELD Production System that was launched to Canadian growers in Regina, Saskatchewan on June 22. The CLEARFIELD Production System combines agronomically advanced seed varieties with custom-designed imidazolinone herbicides to provide extended weed control and superior farm management opportunities.

All current CLEARFIELD canola varieties, and those that will be developed by this collaboration, are recognized as non-GMO by international regulators. Cyanamid and its seed partners have the broadest portfolio of non-GMO herbicide tolerant genetics.

Agricore, is a Canadian, farmer-owned agri-business that provides fully integrated grain and special crops marketing and handling services through its prairie-wide network of elevators and specialized processing plants. Agricore also handles a full range of agronomic inputs, supplies and services through retail agro centres across western Canada.

American Cyanamid Company is a leading global developer and marketer of crop protection products for agricultural and specialty markets. Cyanamid produces and markets herbicides, insecticides and fungicides in the major agricultural regions of the world. It was the first to introduce herbicide tolerant cropping systems, based on its proprietary imidazolinone chemistry. Cyanamid's CLEARFIELD* Production System combines herbicide tolerant crops with custom designed herbicide solutions. American Cyanamid is a subsidiary of American Home Products (NYSE: AHP - news). On March 21, 2000 AHP announced that it had entered into an agreement
with BASF Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: BF - news) to acquire AHP's Cyanamid Agricultural Products business, pending approval by government antitrust authorities. 

*CLEARFIELD and the Unique CLEARFIELD Symbol are trademarks of American Cyanamid Company
(R) SMART, ODYSSEY and PURSUIT are registered trademarks of American Cyanamid Company

Company news release
N2780