ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Monsanto (NYSE: MON) today
announced the launch of Genuity(TM), a family of traits designed to work
together to enhance crop potential and simplify trait selection for farmers.
The Genuity brand will differentiate and unify the agriculture company's
technology products under one platform and make it simpler for growers to
select the traits best suited for their farms.
Ernesto Fajardo, Monsanto Vice President-U.S. Commercial, said the
company's next-generation, value-added trait technologies will be marketed as
Genuity beginning in 2010. As new trait technologies in Monsanto's research
and development pipeline are introduced, having a consistent brand platform
will help represent those products to the farmer in the most straightforward
way possible and avoid the potential for confusion in the marketplace, he
said.
"Genuity gives us the opportunity to position our traits as a family of
innovative products that will enable farmers do what they do best, even
better," said Fajardo. "It provides a single, easily recognized brand to
simplify the process by which farmers ask for our traits, to help them be more
successful on their farms."
The Genuity family of traits will be used with Monsanto's newest and
future traits. These include Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield(TM) soybeans,
Genuity VT Triple PRO(TM) corn, Genuity Bollgard II(R) cotton, Genuity
Bollgard II with Roundup Ready(R) Flex cotton, Genuity Roundup Ready Flex
cotton, Roundup Ready specialty crops and, pending regulatory approval in
2010, Genuity SmartStax(TM) corn.
Fajardo noted that Monsanto invests more than $2.6 million a day -- nearly
$1 billion annually -- to develop innovative, new technologies that help
farmers be more productive and profitable. Technology innovation also supports
the company's commitment to help farmers double yields by the year 2030 to
meet the growing global demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber, while at the
same time helping farmers reduce the use of key resources per unit of output.
"Monsanto's science is only as good as the solutions and the value our
seeds provide to farmers," he said. "That is why we felt we needed a brand
like Genuity to simplify and more clearly connect our family of traits with
the farmers who value them. Genuity will help farmers make the connection
between the traits they know and trust and new trait technologies that will be
introduced in the future."
Dion McBay, Monsanto U.S. Traits Marketing Lead, said the name Genuity is
designed to communicate Monsanto's commitment to innovation and farmer
success. The brand name, he said, is the result of conversations and feedback
that started with farmers.
"The name Genuity is associated with being genuine, authentic and
original, and reinforces our commitment to traits that provide enhanced
productivity and higher yields for the farmers who plant them," McBay
explained.
McBay said Genuity seed bags will feature easy-to-read icons representing
insect protection, herbicide tolerance, weather protection and increased
productivity to illustrate clearly the benefits the traits offer. The Genuity
icon system, he said, will help farmers match traits with the specific needs
of their farm.
Fajardo said he is excited about the new Genuity brand and the future of
agriculture. "Our trait technologies make me think about the tools farmers
will have available to them, now and in the future, that will enable them to
double yields by 2030," he said. "Because we're focused on connecting with
farmers and building relationships with farmers, it's important to make our
trait products very clear to them. That's the goal of Genuity."
For more information about Monsanto's new Genuity brand, farmers are
invited to visit http://www.Genuity.com .
About Monsanto Company
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: http://www.monsanto.com/.
Monsanto Company is a member of BIO's Excellence Through Stewardship(SM)
(ETS) Initiative. This product has been commercialized in compliance with the
ETS and Monsanto Product Launch Stewardship policies, after meeting applicable
regulatory requirements in key export markets with functioning regulatory
systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported
to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory
approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international
law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations
where import is not permitted. Monsanto encourages growers to talk to their
grain handler to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence
Through Stewardship(SM) is a service mark of Biotechnology Industry
Organization. Cottonseed containing Monsanto traits may not be exported for
the purpose of planting without a license from Monsanto.
Growers may utilize the natural refuge option for varieties containing the
Bollgard II(R) trait in the following states: AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MD,
MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA, and most of Texas (excluding the Texas counties of
Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving,
Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler). The natural
refuge option does not apply to Bollgard II cotton grown in areas where pink
bollworm is a pest, including CA, AZ, NM, and the above listed Texas counties.
It also remains the case that Bollgard(R) and Bollgard II cotton cannot be
planted south of Highway 60 in Florida, and that Bollgard cotton cannot be
planted in certain other counties in the Texas panhandle. Refer to the
Technology Use Guide and IRM Guide for additional information regarding
Bollgard II, Bollgard, natural refuge and EPA-mandated geographical
restrictions on the planting of Bt cotton.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. SmartStax(TM)
commercialization is dependent on many factors, including successful
conclusion of regulatory process. SmartStax(TM) has not been registered by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is a violation of federal law to
promote or sell an unregistered pesticide. SmartStax(TM), Bollgard(R),
Bollgard II(R), Genuity(TM), Roundup(R), Roundup Ready(R), Roundup Ready 2
Yield(TM), VT Triple PRO(TM) and SmartStax(TM) are trademarks of Monsanto
Technology LLC. Liberty Link and the Water Droplet Design(R) is a registered
trademark of Bayer Cropscience AG. (C)2009 Monsanto Company.
Contact: Mimi Ricketts (314-694-5703)
