June 23, 2009
Monsanto completes regulatory submissions in Brazil for soy technology
Press Release
Monsanto Company has completed regulatory submission in Brazil for its insect-protected Roundup Ready 2 Yield soy, the first biotech insect-protected product in soy and the company's first biotech product targeted primarily at a market outside the US.
The stacked trait product provides both protection from feeding damage caused by lepidopteran insect pests in Brazil and tolerance to Roundup agricultural herbicides.
The company expects to commercialise Bt Roundup Ready 2 Yield soy in Brazil in the early to middle part of the next decade pending global regulatory approvals. Submissions to the USDA and the US Food and Drug Administration have also been completed. Submissions to the US Environmental Protection Agency and key import markets will occur over the next several months.
"We expect this product to provide a step change for Brazilian soy farmers by protecting against insects that cause significant economic loss combined with the increased yield provided by the Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait, which was introduced commercially this year in the US," said Roy Fuchs, oilseed technology lead for Monsanto. "Better insect control can help reduce pesticide applications and offer farmers yield protection, thus helping agriculture meet the food, fuel and fiber needs of a growing population."
Bt Roundup Ready 2 Yield soy are in Phase 3 of development, which includes trait integration, field testing and regulatory data generation. Insect-protected soy uses the same Bt technology widely adopted in corn and cotton to control lepidopteran insect pests. The benefit from better insect protection will further add value to the increased yield provided by Roundup Ready 2 Yield soy.
This product is a high-impact technology in Monsanto's R&D pipeline with a projected value in 2020 to be US$300 million-US$500 million. This product represents the first of several technologies the company plans to offer farmers in other world areas.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products,
