Monsanto announced at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences that it is undertaking several initiatives in 2007 to build on its commitment to U.S. cotton producers. The initiatives are based on dialogue with U.S. cotton producers as well as a series of listening sessions conducted throughout the Cotton Belt. Monsanto cotton business lead Kevin Eblen made the announcement, detailing a series of actions to support the near-term and long-term sustainability of the U.S. cotton industry.
The four areas of focus Monsanto plans to work on with U.S. cotton producers are:
- Risk management
Monsanto will have two initiatives designed to help cotton producers address the agronomic risks of drought and glyphosate-resistant weeds.
- Technology pricing
Monsanto will continue its commitment to price its technology in a way that shares the benefits with farmers. Additional efforts will be made to communicate how products are priced.
- Global availability of new technology
Monsanto's objective is to develop seed and trait products that provide producers greater value than any other alternative.
- Long-term sustainability
Changes in U.S. farm policy, international competition and other fundamental forces are expected to have a long-term impact on U.S. cotton producers. To help the industry plan for these changes, Monsanto will provide initial funding and support to the Cotton Foundation for a special project to look at the constraints, challenges and opportunities facing U.S. cotton production and marketing.
