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Protecting Yield with Advanced Traits
While our advances in breeding allow us to enhance yield, our trait technology preserves that yield by protecting it from outside pests and stress. Uncovering and enhancing key traits for each of our crops — and stacking them in our higher-yielding seeds — gives us competitive differentiation in the marketplace and opportunities for strong financial growth well into the next decade.
SmartStax to Raise the Value Bar on Triple-Trait Offerings
The trait package of choice for corn farmers today is our triple-trait product. This product was planted on nearly 20 percent of U.S. corn acres in 2007. We estimate that it could be planted on 45 million to 55 million U.S. corn acres by 2010 (see adoption chart at right). At that time, we expect to launch a new all-in-one seed option called SmartStax. SmartStax will combine eight modes-of-action in multiple traits and provide season-long yield protection in three areas: above- and below-ground insect protection as well as the most comprehensive weed control package ever. Once launched, SmartStax is expected to deliver new value to farmers and our business.
Global Traits Business Poised to Deliver New Value in Untapped Markets
Each year, hundreds of thousands of farmers use our traits as an essential tool to protect and enhance yield. In 2007, Monsanto’s trait technologies were planted on 246 million acres throughout the world. While the growth to date has been tremendous, we believe there are still untapped growth opportunities throughout the world (see chart below). By 2010, we believe the opportunity for traits in six key regions outside the United States will be nearly three times the penetration in 2007. These regions include Brazil, Argentina, India, Europe (EU27), South Africa, and Australia.
