Approval Allows Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans To Be Imported For Food/Feed Use In The EU

Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced today that the European Commission has granted import approval for Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. This milestone allows for the import and food/feed use of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans into the European Union.

The European Commission’s approval follows Monsanto’s February announcement of Chinese import approval. With both the EU and Chinese import approvals and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the final stages of review for over-the-top use, Monsanto can now look forward to a full system launch in the United States in 2017 and continues to be in a strong position to supply roughly 15 million U.S. soy acres when the selling season arrives. A full system launch also is planned for Canadian soybean growers in 2017 given the previous Canadian regulatory approval for Roundup Xtend™ with VaporGripTM Technology and XtendiMax™ herbicide with VaporGrip Technology.

“We’ve seen great demand from growers for Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans,” said Brett Begemann, Monsanto President and Chief Operating Officer. “Farmers are telling us they’re looking forward to the benefits of the full Xtend Crop System, including over-the-top use of dicamba and glyphosate. We’re excited to give Canadian growers this opportunity in 2017, along with US growers pending final EPA approval.”

Roundup Ready 2 Xtend is Monsanto’s newest soybean platform that includes tolerance to dicamba. This new dicamba-tolerant trait is stacked with the current Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybean trait technology, which offers farmers the highest yield opportunity with more beans per pod and more bushels per acre.

“It’s important to remind growers that, at this time, there are still no dicamba formulations registered for in-crop use in Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans or Bollgard II® XtendFlex® in the United States,” said Miriam Paris, U.S. soybean marketing manager. “The approvals for in-crop use of dicamba are in the late stages of review by the EPA and are tracking for a late Summer, early Fall approval. Pending dicamba over-the-top approval, growers will continue to maximize their yield opportunity through the weed management recommendations and incentives provided by Roundup Ready PLUS® Crop Management Solutions.”