Monsanto Company Executives Adopt 10b5-1 Trading Plans

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON)
today announced that several of its executives, including Hugh Grant,
chairman, president and chief executive officer, Terry Crews, executive vice
president, chief financial officer and vegetable business CEO, and Robb
Fraley, executive vice president and chief technology officer, have
established stock trading plans in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Under these plans, the Monsanto executives have directed investment
brokers in the sale of shares and exercise of stock options in order to
diversify their personal financial portfolios. All executives have previously
satisfied their Monsanto stock ownership requirements, including Mr. Grant at
an amount equal to five times his annual base salary, and Mr. Crews and Dr.
Fraley at amounts equal to three times their respective annual base salaries.
Mr. Grant, Mr. Crews and Dr. Fraley hold stock in excess of their Monsanto
stock ownership requirements.
Roughly 40 Monsanto executives have stock ownership requirements of
varying levels. Monsanto established a stock ownership requirement in 2000 in
connection with the company's initial public offering of stock. These
guidelines have been amended since then, most recently in June 2006, to keep
the dollar value requirements of stock ownership commensurate with base pay
multiples.
In accordance with Rule 10b5-1, officers and directors of public companies
may adopt plans for purchasing or selling securities in which the amount,
price and date of the transactions are specified. These plans may only be
entered into when the officer or director is not in possession of material,
nonpublic information.
About Monsanto Company
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based
solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and
large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while conserving more of
our world's natural resources such as water and energy. To learn more about
our business and our commitments, please visit: http://www.monsanto.com/.
SOURCE Monsanto Company

Media: Justin Gioia, +1-314-694-4003, Analysts: Scarlett Lee Foster,
+1-314-694-8148, both for Monsanto Company