Dow Agro sales climb, but profit suffers

Date:11-01-2010

Health and Agricultural Sciences sales were $948 million, up 19 percent compared with the year-ago period. Volume increased 26 percent, more than offsetting a 7 percent price decline. Agricultural chemical volume increased in part due to range and pasture herbicide growth, coupled with the continued success of new agricultural chemical products in North America and Latin America. Seeds, Traits and Oils posted significant volume gains in corn, cotton and soybeans. In both corn and cotton, the business gained share. Preliminary Dow AgroSciences data from nearly 50 percent of its U.S. Corn Belt replicated trials on SmartStax hybrids shows the positive performance of the trait technology that enables SmartStax to deliver higher whole-farm yield potential to growers.

EBITDA for the segment was a loss of $12 million, which compares with earnings of $5 million in the year-ago period.

SmartStax multi-event technology developed by Dow AgroSciences andMonsanto--1.htm"> Monsanto. SmartStax is a trademark ofMonsanto--1.htm"> Monsanto Technology, LLC.