St. Paul, Minnesota
June 7, 2000
Farmers will now have a new, powerful way of learning about seed technology advances and new seed varieties.
DirectAg.com and ACCESS Plant Technology, Inc. announced today they will work together to use the Internet to
bring new seed technology information and products to farmers. DirectAg.com's Internet site
will be used to provide extensive technical and agronomic information on the new products prior to
commercialization in order to help farmers better understand the new technologies and how they might work on their
farms.
The new seed technology products will be marketed through both traditional and new channels, including the
Internet. As a result of the agreement, DirectAg.com expects to work with certain seed companies to help market
and distribute the new products on DirectAg.com's Internet site.
The first product that will be introduced by this partnership will be CystX(tm) soybeans, soybean seed exhibiting
broad-based soybean cyst nematode (SCN) resistance. CystX soybeans, developed through conventional breeding,
feature total resistance to all known races of cyst nematodes. Research indicates cyst nematodes cause at least $1.0
billion in farmer losses annually in the United States due to reduced soybean yields.
Soybean varieties exhibiting CystX will be available for only limited trial use for spring planting in 2001. It is
expected purchases will also be supply-limited for the 2002 and 2003 growing seasons as seedstock supplies are
being built. During the seed multiplication period leading up to the availability of commercial quantities, the two
companies and seed partners will use DirectAg.com's Internet site to, among other things, provide technical
information on SCN and agronomic information on the new type of soybean seed. The introduction and eventual,
expected Internet-supported marketing of the new technology will serve as a model for future joint efforts to
introduce and market additional new seed technologies.
"We look forward to working with DirectAg.com to help bring CystX soybean technology to the market,'' said
John Gerard, President, ACCESS Plant Technology. "DirectAg.com and its people know agriculture and farmers.
They know farmers need quality value-added inputs. That is exactly the kind of organization we want to work with
to use the Internet to help bring value-added seed technology to the marketplace.''
"One of our key objectives when we formed our company was to figure out how to use the Internet to bring new
technologies and create value for farmers quicker, and in new, better ways,'' said Kip E. Pendleton, President and
CEO of DirectAg.com, Inc. "Our partnership with ACCESS is one important way in which we will do that. We
look forward to working with them to use the power of the Internet to help farmers take full advantage of new seed
technologies.''
ACCESS serves as an access bridge between companies and institutions that are developing
technology, and the companies that market the products of plant technology. The company helps identify, source, and then assist in the
marketing of new seed technologies and products that improve farmer productivity and profits. The company is
headquartered in Plymouth, Indiana, with additional offices in the Midwest and West.
DirectAg.com is a comprehensive business-to-business Internet site providing farmers with a broad offering of
information and a growing number of ag products and services. Farmers can purchase name brand, high-quality
products and services from major agricultural suppliers at their convenience, anytime day or night. DirectAg.com
offers current markets and agriculture news, and gives farmers free access to experts. Farmers can e-mail questions
to the site's "Virtual Agronomist(tm)'' and "Virtual Livestock Advisor(tm)'' and receive advice and help at no
charge. The Company intends to continue expanding its offerings of high-value information, animal health,
machinery and parts, seed and financial services. DirectAg.com is based in St. Paul,
Minnesota. Company news release
N2726 |
