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Beyond the Rows is a Monsanto Company blog focused on one of the world’s most important industries, agriculture. Monsanto employees write about Monsanto’s business, the agriculture industry, and the farmer.avatar Monsantoco Posts

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Tag Archives: creating best seed choice and innovation

The Difference Two Weeks Can Make

In comments submitted to the Department of Justice and the USDA, Pioneer Hi-Bred calls rival seed company Monsanto’s dominance in the corn and soybean trait markets “an overwhelming monopoly.”

– Brownfield Ag Network, Jan. 12, 2010

DuPont Chief Executive Ellen Kullman told analysts that President Paul Schickler and his Pioneer team “delivered on their commitment to improved profits and market share.”

“We expect the same results this year,” Kullman said.

The $13 billion U.S. seed industry is embroiled in what Kullman described Tuesday as “an incredibly competitive period.”

Schickler on Tuesday exulted in the company’s market share gains of … Full Article »

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Originally published
January 28, 2010 by Glynn Young

Monsanto Says DOJ Has Issued CID for Information on Soybean Trait Business

Monsanto announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a civil investigative demand (CID) requesting information on its soybean traits business. The DOJ is primarily seeking a confirmation that, as Monsanto has previously indicated, farmers and seed companies will continue to have access to the first-generation Roundup Ready® trait following patent expiry in 2014.

Please read our announcement here.

For more information on what a CID is and how it’s used by the DOJ, check out this 2008 FAQ written for the Yahoo-Google deal antitrust investigation.

More information on Monsanto and competition in the seed industry:

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Originally published
January 14, 2010 by Monsantoco

Monsanto Public Comments to DOJ Available On-line

Today, we posted on the Monsanto.com Web site, the official public comments we submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the upcoming workshops on competition in Agriculture. The DOJ and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are holding joint workshops on competition this year. The agencies have invited agribusiness to participate in these workshops and requested comments from the public. The comment period ran through the end of 2009.

You can access our comments here.

In addition to the public comments, a rebuttal to the American Antitrust Institute’s public paper, “Transgenic Seed Platforms: Competition Between a Rock and … Full Article »

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Originally published
January 5, 2010 by Mica Veihman

Monsanto Plans for Roundup Ready® Soybeans Post Patent

The world’s most widely adopted biotech trait, Roundup Ready® soybeans, is set to go off patent soon in the U.S. – the last applicable Monsanto-owned patent is expected to expire in 2014. Although it’s still several years off, we’ve been discussing our thoughts about a post-patent environment for the past several years. These discussions culminated in communications with our seed licensees at the American Seed Trade Association annual meeting, held the first week of December.

As the company that first introduced biotech soybeans to the market, we’re also the first company to deal with figuring out what to do … Full Article »

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Originally published
December 16, 2009 by Mica Veihman

Monsanto Response to Associated Press Article Regarding Anti-Competitive Claims

This weekend’s Associated Press article on Monsanto’s licensing agreements with companies missed the mark on the real facts behind our business and our licensing approach, including:

  • Our business has grown tremendously over the years thanks to a number of factors – an early investment in biotechnology, adding new approaches to historic breeding, and a decision to broadly license the results of those investments to anyone who wanted them, including our biggest direct competitors. We understand this scale of success brings scrutiny.
  • The growth of our business cannot be attributed to any forced use by customers or to blocking any competitors.

    • … Full Article »

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Originally published
December 12, 2009 by Mica Veihman