First Canadian delivery made of the greater yield potential of Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ soybeans

DEKALB® customer receives first shipment of soybeans with Monsanto’s new Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait

(Guelph, Ontario – March 26, 2009) — The next generation of higher yielding soybean technology has arrived in Canada. The technology, Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ soybean trait, will be the platform for Monsanto’s new soybean technologies in the coming decade. The historic first Canadian delivery of soybeans with the Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait was made this week in Dutton, Ontario.

Soybean and corn farmer Grant Boyd of Dutton, Ontario received delivery of soybeans with the Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait at his local DEKALB® dealer, Agris Co-Operative, also located in Dutton, Ontario.  DEKALB - as well as Pride Seeds, Hyland Seeds and Croplan - all have Roundup Ready 2 Yield varieties for sale for 2009 planting, with many other leading seed brands preparing to sell varieties in 2010.

Boyd is pleased that new, higher yielding technology is now available in soybeans.

"For me it’s about yield.  After seeing my yields in corn increase over the past few years as new technology has been made available, I have been waiting for something new in soybean technology to help increase my soybean yields,” he said.  “With Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans now a reality I am looking forward to improved soybean yields on my farm.”

Roundup Ready 2 Yield offers farmers the same flexible, dependable weed control and crop safety as original Roundup Ready soybeans, but with higher yield potential resulting from advanced gene mapping and insertion technology. The technology provides higher yields by producing more beans per pod on the plant. Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are the next generation of the popular Roundup Ready® technology farmers have used in soybeans in Canada since 1997.

“For Monsanto Canada it’s about bringing new technology to Canadian growers that will help improve their productivity and increase their bottom line,” says Mike Nailor, corn and soybean marketing lead for Monsanto Canada.  “With Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans poised to deliver more yield potential for Canadian growers, we think this new technology will help Canadian soybean growers remain competitive with other soybean producing countries around the world.”

Monsanto's Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans will be introduced as part of a controlled commercial release this year mainly in Southern Ontario. In 2010, the trait is expected to be planted broadly across Eastern Canada in a variety of maturity groups.

Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monsanto Canada Inc. is part of the larger global Monsanto family.  Monsanto Company is an agricultural company and 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. Learn more about our business and our commitments at www.monsanto.ca.

For more information, contact:

Mike Nailor Trish Jordan
Trait Marketing Lead, Eastern Canada Public Affairs Director
Monsanto Canada Monsanto Canada
(519) 780-6612 (204) 985-1005
Michael.g.nailor@monsanto.com Trish.L.Jordan@monsanto.com