Saint Louis, Missouri
February 5, 2008
The American Soybean
Association (ASA) is pleased that final regulatory approvals
have been received in Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan for
Monsanto’s, Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ (MON 89788). U.S. soybean
producers anticipate commercialization of this new product in
2009.
"These approvals represent significant progress toward
commercialization of the technology," said ASA President John
Hoffman, a soybean producer from Waterloo, Iowa. "It is my
understanding that Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans will offer a 7
to 11 percent yield advantage over first-generation Roundup
Ready beans, while providing the same tolerance to the Roundup
herbicides we are now using to manage weeds. Higher soybean
yields increase the ability of U.S. soybean growers to supply
food, feed, and fuel markets domestically and around the globe."
Last July, Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans completed the
regulatory process in both the United States and Canada. The
product is currently under scientific review by the European
Food Safety Authority, as well as regulatory authorities in
China and other key export markets.
"More than 90 percent of the soybeans planted in the United
States this year were biotech varieties," Hoffman said. "U.S.
growers look forward to the next generation of biotech-enhanced
soybean varieties now under development that will offer
important benefits to consumers, growers, and the environment,
ranging from healthy oil profiles to increased yields per unit
of land to better weed control.
"Timely overseas regulatory approvals are critical because
growers around the world have rapidly adopted new
biotech-enhanced seed varieties as they became available,"
Hoffman said. "Livestock farmers and feed industries around the
world depend on access to imported, protein-rich soybeans and
soybean meal to nourish their animals and meet the food demands
of consumers. U.S. soybean growers welcome these latest
approvals in Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and we look
forward to timely regulatory approvals in other important export
markets well prior to planting in the spring of 2009."
Monsanto is planning a controlled commercial release of its
Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean technology in 2009. A full-scale
launch is expected in 2010.
Biotech-enhanced varieties of herbicide tolerant soybean seeds
were first commercialized more than a decade ago. Herbicide
tolerant seeds have become a standard in U.S. farmer management
systems to control weeds that compete with crops for light,
water, and nutrients. The technology provides farmers with an
unprecedented weed management tool, which has led to increased
conservation tillage practices that sequester carbon, reduce
production costs, lower fuel consumption, reduce run-off,
improve water quality, and save irreplaceable top soil.
ASA is the policy advocate and collective voice of its 22,000
producer-members on domestic and international issues of
importance to all U.S. soybean farmers.
The American Soybean Association is the policy, domestic
marketing, new uses, research and international marketing
advocate of the U.S. soybean farmer. ASA is a membership
organization representing 26,000 soybean producers. It's mission
is to improve U.S. soybean farmer profitability. |
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