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'Right Product, Right Acre' Winning Seed Strategy for Farmers and DuPont

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 December 2008, 08:24 CST

WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- As agricultural seed selling for the 2009 North America planting season kicks into high gear, preliminary indications suggest superior product performance and enhanced customer service are making a difference for DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred.

"We had a strong seed product line-up in the marketplace in 2008. The challenging growing season demonstrated the agronomic strengths and overall superiority of our products. But we also had a much expanded sales force helping farmers match products to their specific needs," said James C. Borel, DuPont group vice president.

"Harvest results show improved performance by Pioneer 'triple stack' seed corn products and extended leadership in other categories," Borel said. "In soybeans, the Pioneer M Series continued to deliver industry-leading performance and the new Y Series delivered impressive yield advantages as expected.

"The response we are seeing from customers this fall in the form of strong early seed orders has to be attributed to both products and service," he said.

Borel will give an update on 2008 harvest results and the 2009 outlook for the DuPont production agriculture businesses as part of the DuPont 2009 Update webcast Dec. 4 at 10:00 a.m. EST.

"While we're pleased to see our average competitive yield advantage increase, we know that farmers don't purchase based on averages," Borel said. "Our focus is squarely on helping customers plant the right product on the right acre. In the seed business, that's best for our customers and it's why we expect to grow market share in both corn and soybean seed in 2009."

Initial 2008 corn yield comparisons have Pioneer(R) brand products with a 2.9 bushels per acre yield advantage versus similar competitive products across 13,000 on-farm trials. Pioneer "double stacked" seed corn products are averaging 5.5 bushels per acre better than competitive "double stacks." Pioneer(R) brand hybrids with herbicide tolerance are averaging 7.1 bushels per acre better than competitive hybrids with herbicide tolerance.

On-farm soybean yield trials are showing an overall Pioneer advantage of 1.3 bushels per acre. Key soybean products, which include the new Pioneer Y Series soybeans, are demonstrating as much as a 3.8 bushels advantage over competitors.

Over the past year, Pioneer has expanded its North America sales force with an additional net increase of more than 250 points of sale. At the same time, it launched a number of new products and increased its competitive advantage for both corn and soybeans.

Information on participating in the DuPont 2009 Update webcast can be found in the Investor Center on http://www.dupont.com.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.

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.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments or new information. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in DuPont's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated. These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions of countries in which the company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance, and seasonality of sales of agricultural products.

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont(TM), The miracles of science(TM), and Pioneer(R) are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

Contact: Patrick Arthur

SOURCE DuPont

Source: PR Newswire

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