U.S. soybean shippers praise latest Roundup Ready 2 approvals

U.S. soybean shippers praise latest Roundup Ready 2 approvals

U.S. soybean shippers were pleased by the latest round of overseas approvals for accepting Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Yield beans, due for commercial release in 2009

   Mexico, Australia and New Zealand recently issued their approvals. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a positive scientific opinion concluding that Roundup Ready 2 is safe for import as food and feed.

   “It is my understanding that Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans will offer a 7 to 11 percent yield advantage over first-generation Roundup Ready beans, while providing the same tolerance to the Roundup herbicides we are now using to manage weeds,” said John Hoffman, president of the American Soybean Association, in a statement.

   “Higher soybean yields increase the ability of U.S. soybean growers to supply food, feed and fuel markets domestically and around the globe,” he said.

   Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans have completed the regulatory process in both the United States and Canada, and were recently approved in Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.

   “Livestock farmers and feed industries around the world depend on access to imported, protein-rich soybeans and soybean meal to nourish their animals and meet the food demands of consumers,” Hoffman said. “U.S. soybean growers welcome these latest approvals in Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, and we look forward to timely regulatory approvals in other important export markets well prior to planting in the spring of 2009.”

   Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans will be introduced on 1 million to 2 million acres during the 2009 season as part of a controlled commercial release, followed by a large-scale product launch of 5 million to 6 million acres scheduled for 2010.