FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 31, 2007

CONTACT: Becky Grisham, Missouri Corn Growers Association, (573) 893-4181 or (800) 827-4181

JAPAN SIGNS OFF ON AGRISURE CORN ROOTWORM TRAIT

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)--A new biotechnology trait for Syngenta's Agrisure® RW corn rootworm insect control seed received full regulatory approval in Japan on Aug. 23. This is good news for corn growers and the corn industry.

"Japan is the top export market for U.S. corn growers," says Missouri Corn Growers Association President Mike Geske. "This approval is a big weight off our shoulders and allows a major corn channel to stay open. We appreciate Japan's dedication to science rather than politics. They demonstrated their ability to make a complex approval system work when time was critical."

In addition to Japan, the new biotech trait has been approved in the U.S. and Canada, and has received import approval in Australia and New Zealand. The Agrisure brand spans a wide range of products bringing new choices to growers including Agrisure CB/LL, Agrisure GT, Agrisure RW, Agrisure GT/RW, Agrisure GT/CB/LL, Agrisure CB/LL/RW and Agrisure 3000GT.

"As demand for corn continues to grow and the cost of production continues to escalate, new advancements in biotechnology are vital to corn growers," Geske says. "We must have access to the best available tools that technology can provide."

When Agrisure RW was approved in the United States, Syngenta required growers to participate in a comprehensive stewardship program to ensure the grain would remain in domestic markets. While Agrisure RW grain can now be accepted by elevators exporting grain to Japan, there are still other export markets that have yet to approve the new biotech trait. Because of that fact, Syngenta will continue to implement the grain stewardship program with growers through the end of 2007.

"In April, Missouri Corn sent a letter to our membership to raise awareness of this new biotech trait and the potential for market disruptions," recalls Geske. "Growers still need to follow through with their original stewardship plans to avoid any major market interruptions with unapproved countries."

In 2008, Agrisure RW will be part of the seed industry's Market Choices grain direction program. To stay informed on the export status of crops, growers are encouraged to visit the National Corn Growers Association's Know Before You Grow Program. The Web site includes information on the regulatory status of corn from more than 70 seed companies.