Sales in the first quarter of 2008 increased by 20 percent at constant exchange rates (CER). Reported sales benefited from the weakness of the dollar and were 28 percent higher at $3.8 billion. Substantial volume growth was supplemented by a three percent increase in pricing. …more

Leading E-Trading Platform Teams with Pioneer MarketPoint(SM) Resource

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — DuPont (NYSE: DD)
today announced it has purchased an equity stake in Farms Technology as part
of its strategy to create additional value for its customers and grain buyers.
Specific details of the equity stake purchase were not released. …more

Marketplace Growth Reflects Farmer Confidence.

ST. LOUIS, Mo., April 15, 2008 - With so much riding on yield, farmers want to be confident in their seed decision. That’s one reason, heading into the 2008 planting season, that more farmers are planting DEKALB® corn, and planting it on more of their acres. …more

REMINGTON, INDIANA (April 15, 2008) — Silver Lane Hybrids and Bayer CropScience have come together to offer growers an opportunity to earn up to $6.25 back per acre when they apply Liberty® herbicide on Herculex® hybrids. …more

Pioneer Hi-Bred, university studies indicate yield, profit advantage over switch to early hybrids

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 16, 2008 - Growers across the Corn Belt are either anxiously waiting to get into their fields or are in the early stages of planting their 2008 corn crop. If cool, wet weather continues, planting will be delayed for many growers, limiting the number of growing days for the crop and prompting questions about switching to earlier hybrids. …more

By Dave Downing
Senior Marketing Manager
Makhteshim Agan of North America (MANA)

You don’t need a weather report to see a perfect storm brewing in the agrichemical market as factors on several economic fronts collide. High oil prices. A declining dollar. More acres going into production. Widespread adoption of biotech crops worldwide – especially glyphosate tolerant crops. …more

INDIANAPOLIS — April 11, 2008 — Dow AgroSciences has selected two industry veterans to head marketing and research efforts leading to the anticipated launch of SmartStax™ in 2010. Brent Stauffacher was recently named SmartStax product manager and Doug Barker is the SmartStax research and development project lead. …more

Program Offers Attractive Premiums for Soybean Growers

DES MOINES and IOWA CITY, Iowa, April 10, 2008 – Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, and Asoyia, Inc., have entered into an agreement making Pioneer® brand one percent ultra low linolenic soybean varieties with the Roundup Ready® trait eligible for participation in the Asoyia® Identity Preserved soybean program. …more

Growers have a new solution for controlling a broad range of insect pests

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (April 10, 2008) ¾ Soybean growers faced with the most damaging sucking and chewing pests have a new tool. Leverage® 2.7SE insecticide from Bayer CropScience recently received EPA registration for soybeans. Featuring two modes of action and a broad spectrum of protection, Leverage 2.7 controls a wide range of pests such as soybean aphid, bean leaf beetle, Japanese beetle and corn rootworm beetles. Leverage 2.7 is also registered for use in cotton. …more

Reinforces Long-Term Commitment to Product Development in the Region

VOLGA, S.D., April 10, 2008 - Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, today announced plans to build a permanent research center here. The new site represents a $3.5 million investment in a state-of-the-art facility, equipment and professional staff to develop and deliver exceptional hybrids for farmers in South Dakota, western Minnesota and northwest Iowa.
The new research center will open this fall and support a major expansion in Pioneer efforts to develop corn hybrids for the northwestern Corn Belt. …more