Dear Editor,

This refers to your news entitled Greenpeace calls on Philippine Government to abandon BT talong. The report stated that Mahyco is a subsidiary of Monsanto which is inaccurate. We hope that you may be able to rectify this report in the interest of accurate reporting. Please also find attached our statement on bt brinjal.

Thanks and kind regards.

Charina Garrido-Ocampo

Corporate Affairs Lead

Monsanto Philippines, Inc.,

Phone: +632 809-4848 loc. 7121

BT Brinjal is not a product of Monsanto

Press Release
October 4, 2010

In response to reports which stated that BT Brinjal is produced by Monsanto, and/or in partnership with Mahyco, Monsanto’s Corporate Affairs Lead, Charina Ocampo, clarified that these reports are inaccurate.

BT Brinjal has been indigenously developed by the Indian seed and biotech company – Mahyco, in collaboration with public sector institutions.  Ocampo said Mahyco has independently conducted Bt Brinjal research for over nine years now in full compliance with the guidelines and directives of the regulatory authorities to ensure its safety; making Bt Brinjal the most rigorously tested vegetable with 25 environmental biosafety studies.

Meantime, Monsanto’s association with Mahyco is restricted only to the extent of a minority stake of 26% in the company, through Monsanto Holdings Pvt. Ltd. (MHPL) – a 100% subsidiary of Monsanto Company, USA.

Ocampo said that Monsanto will continue to conduct research in compliance with the Philippine regulatory protocols. “Our regulatory protocols have been established in 1990 by Executive order No 430 issued by the late President Corazon Aquino. Since then, there was not one case, documented or otherwise, which would indicate that our regulators failed to exercise utmost diligence,” said Ocampo. “The presidents who succeeded President Aquino, namely Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo, have all indicated continued support for biotechnology as an important focus of our country’s  research and development program.

Ocampo said that “hopefully, the Aquino Government and the Department of Agriculture, under the watch of Secretary Proceso Alcala, will also continue the long standing support provided by the Philippine government for the promotion of biotechnology. We believe that better seed, biotech-enhancements, and improved agronomic practices hold the long-term solution to increasing crop productivity sustainably.”