Monsanto's Plans for the Future

Monsanto's Plans for the Future

ST. LOUIS--Monsanto has appointed a 17-member Grower Advisory Council to provide guidance to the company and to identify new opportunities to benefit American producers. The Council will be chaired by former U.S. Congressman Tom Ewing, of Pontiac, Ill. The rest of the board is comprised of leaders representing U.S. agricultural and commodity organizations. The mission of the Council is as follows: identify specific courses of action for Monsanto management that can create new uses for commodity crops and add value for growers; provide a formal program for Monsanto to hear and respond to grower feedback; and serve as a sounding board for reviewing Monsanto actions, positions and policies before they are finalized.

In related news, Monsanto held its first annual meeting of stockholders on April 18 after a partial initial public offering of its stock to investors last October. At the meeting, Monsanto stated its goals for 2001. They include growing sales of RoundUp herbicide through brand leadership and volume growth; gaining approvals for biotechnology traits and commercializing them globally; and realizing the full value of the company's new product pipeline. For more information and a list of Council members, visitwww.monsanto.com.