WILMINGTON, Del. — Monsanto is trying to deny farmers access to alternative technologies at a time when farmers are struggling with weeds that are increasingly resistant to current Monsanto products, according to James C. Borel, DuPont group vice president.
Come to expect
“The litigation filed by Monsanto is more of what we have come to expect from them,” said Borel, in response to the filing of a lawsuit by Monsanto in federal court in St. Louis, Mo.
“Monsanto has a long history of using litigation and aggressive tactics to preserve their monopoly and attempt to intimidate customers, seed partners and competitors. DuPont Optimum GAT soybeans that include the RR1 trait are better products, and we believe our customers should have the right to plant them. On this issue, we will stand with American farmers and fight Monsanto’s efforts to deny them access to competitive products.
“DuPont has been delivering innovation to the marketplace for years, such as Y series soybeans, and we are seeing positive response from farmers. Our pipeline is full of innovative products that will improve productivity of the world’s farmers and we think it’s only appropriate that farmers can see some new options that can benefit them.
Disappointed
“We are disappointed Monsanto chose litigation and inflammatory public statements over civil discourse. The lawsuit incorrectly claims that Pioneer and DuPont may not combine (“stack”) the innovative Optimum GAT trait with any soybeans already containing a Roundup Ready trait. Monsanto’s so-called “stacking” restriction is one of many practices that Monsanto engages in to limit the availability of competitive products. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice required that Monsanto abandon similar “stacking” restrictions it imposed on its licensees producing Roundup Ready cottonseed as a condition to its acquisition of cotton seed company Delta & Pine Land.
“It is DuPont’s belief that competition in the seed industry, U.S. growers, and ultimately, consumers, would be best served by a public policy that allows independent seed companies to assemble the best combinations of traits and germplasm for each of their customers. To that end, seed companies should be able to offer combinations of traits and germplasm without restrictions imposed by trait providers that attempt to limit those combinations.”
DuPont
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.
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This looks like a press release from DuPont rather than something written by your staff. Is there another side of the story or is this all the news there is to report?
You can also read Monsanto’s news release on our Web site: http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/monsanto-disputes-unlawful-use-of-roundup-ready-technologies/11941.html
When Dupont licensed the trait from Monsanto they signed a contract saying they would not stack the trait. It sounds like Dupont is just trying to get more out of the deal than what they actually paid for. It seems like a desperate move on their part.
Ah it’s so cute watching two spawns of Satan argue with each other while the people will ultimately suffer…
As a small farmer I am disguisted with the takeover of our lifestyle by Agribusiness and the media’s endorsement of this.
We need to boycott all businesses,organizations, and media that endorse or promote the exploitation of the small farmer.
Yes we can !
Good for DuPont. Monsanto has a long history of using lawsuits to limit competition and eek more money out of farmers. All too often, the media forget to report that DuPont is paying Monsanto a hefty licensing fee every time they stack a trait.
Here’s my take
Pioneer’sOptimum GAt doesn’t work right. They need Monsanto’s Roundup Ready to fix it. If there was any way possible they could sell it without Monsanto stuff involved, they’d have it out by now.
Roundup REady will be off patent in a few years.hooray for farmers who can then save the seed! only problem is that after a few years, the varieties are so outdated they won’t yield worth a d#%@ compared to new genetics.
With Pioneer in the market, farmers can buy a little new seed every year and increase it on their own farms. tEh RR part will be off pantent and Pioneer doesn’t have the nerve to sue a farmer for stealing their Optimum gat junk that doesn’t work in the first place.
After years of letting Monsanto enforce RR patents in Pioneer soybean varieties that farmers save, Pioneer has no system of enforcement like Monsanto. Plus, Monsanto has an easy case to make. If you buy roundup and spray it on beans, it’s proof positive you are growing their stuff. your herbicide rceipts better match your bean seed receipts or you are busted. But nobody is going to be spraying optimum gat with ALS herbicides when they can just do it with roundup. So there’s not easy way for Pioneer to prove anything.
Thats why I want them tocome out ahead of Monsanto on this deal.