Boise, Idaho
March 17, 2008

ROGERS® Brand Vegetables Seeds announced Monday that they have hired a new Product Business Manager of Peppers. Marco Toapanta, PhD, will join ROGERS on March 24 and will be based in Kansas City, Missouri. He will be responsible for developing and driving strategic crop plans for hot and sweet peppers.

Marco joins ROGERS from Bayer Crop Science. His professional background spans product development, project management, and marketing, with an emphasis on vegetables. Marco is fluent in English, Spanish, and German, and has worked on projects focused on key markets in the United States, Mexico, and Central America amongst others.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs more than 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com

Website: http://www.syngenta-us.com/seeds/vegetables/

Published: March 17, 2008