R ELEASE

Immediately

C ONTACTMedia (Monsanto) – Janice Person (901-320-5760)
Media (Valent) – Elsa Zisook (925-930-8559)
Media (SCC) – Crop Protection Division International (+81-3-5543-5731)

M ONSANTO C OMPANY
800 N ORTH L INDBERGH B LVD
S T. L OUIS , M ISSOURI 63167

MONSANTO, SUMITOMO CHEMICAL AND VALENT ANNOUNCE LONG-TERM CROPPROTECTION COLLABORATION
ST. LOUIS (Oct. 19, 2010) – Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
(SCC) and SCC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Valent U.S.A. Corporation, today announced a long-term
agreement that makes the companies strategic partners in Monsanto’s Roundup Ready PLUSTM weed
management platform in the United States. In addition, Monsanto and SCC have agreed to seek further
collaboration on weed management opportunities with SCC's flumioxazin products in other countries
such as Brazil and Argentina.
Valent herbicides covered under the agreement include the growing line of preemergence residual
herbicides such as Valor® SX, Valor XLT, Gangster® and Fierce™, a new product pending registration,
along with the Select® branded post-grass herbicides in the United States.
Earlier today Monsanto announced the Roundup Ready PLUS platform, which allows farmers tomaximize the benefits of their Roundup Ready crops by using the platform’s recommendations andreceiving financial incentives. Roundup Ready PLUS is designed to provide effective and sustainableweed control benefits for farmers.
Today’s agreement will make the Valent products key elements of the Roundup Ready PLUS
platform under the incentives Cotton Performance Plus and Residual Rewards (for soybean growers).
Under the agreement, Monsanto will license its Roundup Ready PLUS weed management trademarks foruse with the Valent herbicides.
“This agreement creates value for farmers using the Roundup Ready PLUS system bydelievering key weed management solutions delievered by the Valent line-up of products,” according toMike Frank, vice president of Monsanto’s crop protection business. “This new agreement provides aclear path forward in cooperative weed management initiatives for years to come.”
Ray Nishimoto, SCC Executive Officer, says, “This collaboration represents a milestone in theweed management system in US agriculture, offering a broad range of product choices supported by thehighly advanced and extensive R&D expertise of both companies.”
According to Jim Blome, Valent COO and executive vice president, “This agreement
demonstrates the commitment that SCC-Valent and Monsanto have to partner for proactive productstewardship. Our goal is to provide growers with cost-effective and sustainable weed management
programs, and working with Monsanto and their Roundup Ready PLUS platform is another major step forValent in delivering that objective to farmers”.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About Monsanto Company
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural productsthat improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both smallholder and large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's
natural resources such as water and energy. To learn more about our business and our commitments,
please visit: www.monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on
the company blog, Beyond the Rows at www.monsantoblog.com, or subscribe to our News Release RSSFeed.
About Sumitomo Chemical
Sumitomo Chemical is one of Japan’s leading chemical companies, offering a diverse range of products
globally in the fields of basic chemicals, petrochemicals, fine chemicals, IT-related chemicals andmaterials, agricultural chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The company’s consolidated net sales for fiscal
2009 were US$17.4 billion (JPY1.62 trillion). For additional information, visit the company’s website atwww.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/.

About Valent U.S.A. Corporation
Valent, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif. develops and markets products in the United States andCanada that protect agricultural crops, enhance crop yields, improve food quality, beautify theenvironment and safeguard public health. Valent products include a well-known line of quality herbicide,
insecticide, fungicide and plant growth regulator products for agricultural and professional use. It
differentiates itself from its competitors as a leader in marketing and sales of both biorational andtraditional chemical products. For more information about Valent or our full product line, call 800-6VALENT (682-5368), or visit www.valent.com.