Nota del editor: We asked Dean Hendrickson, lead of the company’s global glyphosate business, non-branded for his views on the glyphosate situation. An 18-year Monsanto veteran, Hendrickson’s current responsibilities include understanding the global glyphosate arena and leading the company’s global strategy for its glyphosate supply business. He has held a number of positions within Monsanto, ranging from sales management, account management, U.S. Roundup brand management, and U.S. markets channel strategy lead to director of marketing & operations for the firm’s animal ag business. In addition, “I essentially grew up in agriculture as our family was an independent retailer in the upper Midwest,” he says. “Together these experiences have allowed me to appreciate the complexity of the global chemistry market from a number of distinct aspects and appreciate the importance and scale of a product like Roundup
in the agricultural industry.”
¿Qué espera en términos de volatilidad de los precios del glifosato el próximo año?
In 2008, a number of agricultural inputs have been (and will continue to be) impacted by strong macro-economic trends for commodity crops, driven by an increasing and more affluent populations, particularly in China and India. We believe demand for glyphosate – particularly our Roundup branded product – will continue to increase globally and should be relatively unaffected by current global financial problems. Weed control is necessary for optimizing yields, and conservationtillage is more cost-effective than using conventional practices: Roundup and other glyphosate products fit well here. Volatility is typically driven by demand and supply imbalances, and until the global financial situation stabilizes, it appears that volatility may be something that all industry participants must plan for and effectively manage.
¿Anticipa algún problema de oferta / escasez en 2009?
The supply discussion is tough, as people are looking across all glyphosate sources, not simply Monsanto’s supply, and it’s difficult for us to project what may occur with other suppliers. However, we are committed to meeting our commitment of being a consistent supplier. Monsanto’s manufacturing team is working 24/7/365 to run all of our plants at full capacity. We are attempting to build some strategic inventory of Roundup in 2009 to allow us to serve our customers better, have greater flexibility in our supply chain, and be better prepared for any potential supply interruptions.
¿Hay regiones en el mundo en las que el mercado del glifosato se esté expandiendo o disminuyendo? Si es así, ¿por qué?
En los últimos años, la adopción de prácticas de labranza de conservación y cultivos Roundup Ready, así como los ajustes de tarifas, se combinaron para aumentar significativamente la demanda de Roundup y otros productos de glifosato. Anticipamos que la demanda mundial de glifosato seguirá creciendo en el contexto de una sólida
economía agrícola.
Aunque hemos visto un crecimiento en la mayoría de las áreas del mundo, las tasas de crecimiento proyectadas más altas se encuentran en las Regiones de América del Norte y América Latina. Para 2009, esto se verá impulsado por una mayor adopción de la tecnología Roundup Ready, más tierra para la producción agrícola y la recuperación de los impactos de las inundaciones en los EE. UU.
Medio Oeste el año pasado.
What are Monsanto’s plans for expanding production of glyphosate?
In April 2008, we announced a $196 million dollar investment for expansion of our Roundup brand agricultural herbicides manufacturing facility in Luling, Louisiana, US, to enhance our ability to supply the growing demand for glyphosate. This investment provides for new process improvements at the facility, helping to provide a reliable supply of the world’s leading agricultural herbicide, Roundup brand, to our customers. These improvements are expected to be completed in time for the 2010 planting season.