BASEL, Switzerland and WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ —

Syngenta and DuPont (NYSE: DD) today announced a global agreement that will

provide DuPont business, Pioneer Hi-Bred, access to Syngenta’s novel insect

control corn event, MIR162. Under the royalty-bearing agreement, Syngenta

will grant Pioneer a non-exclusive, global license with stacking rights to

MIR162. Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are pleased with this important commitment which further demonstrates

the quality of Syngenta’s biotech trait pipeline,” said Davor Pisk, Chief

Operating Officer Syngenta Seeds. “This agreement will accelerate the rapid

adoption of Syngenta proprietary technology to better protect growers’ corn

crops worldwide.”

“With access to this trait, we have a great new tool to build on our

insect control product offerings,” said Paul E. Schickler, DuPont Vice

President and General Manager and President of Pioneer. “The addition of

MIR162 to our already strong insect control trait portfolio will provide

growers with a superior product choice in controlling the broadest range of

insect pests.”

MIR162 is currently in the regulatory review process in the United States

and the major corn export markets. It is expected to receive U.S. regulatory

approval by the end of the year.

MIR162 will protect corn above the ground by delivering high-level control

of a broad spectrum of lepidopteran insects including fall army worm, corn ear

worm, western bean and black cut worm and sugar cane borer, which are key

pests in the United States, Brazil and Argentina. The gene contained in MIR162

has a distinct mode of action that is structurally and functionally different

from the genes contained in insect control technologies currently in the

marketplace.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable

agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a

leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds

market. Sales in 2007 were approximately $9.2 billion. Syngenta employs over

21,000 people in more than 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss

stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (NYSE: SYT). Further information is

available at www.syngenta.com.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world’s leading source of

customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed

processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to

advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802,

DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a

better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70

countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for

markets including agriculture and food; building and construction;

communications; and transportation.

For additional information about our company or our products, check our

worldwide website: http://www.dupont.com and http://www.pioneer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking

statements based on management’s current expectations, estimates and

projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about

the future, including statements about the company’s strategy for growth,

product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial

results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking

statements may be identified by words like “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,”

“intends,” “projects,” “indicates,” and similar expressions. These statements

are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks,

uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more

fully elsewhere in this release and in DuPont’s filings with the Securities

and Exchange Commission, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K,

as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated.

These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws,

regulations, policies and economic conditions of countries in which the

company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of

structural changes, including acquisitions, divestitures and alliances;

research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and

market acceptance, and seasonality of sales of agricultural products.