ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, U.S. — Monsanto Company has secured two new approvals in Latin America: Genuity VT Triple PRO corn in Argentina and Bt Roundup Ready 2 Yield (BtRR2Y) soybeans in Brazil, the company announced on Oct. 13.

"These approvals are great news for our farmer customers in Brazil and Argentina," said Brett Begemann, executive vice-president, seeds & traits for Monsanto. "It’s a promising recognition of technology's contribution to agriculture in helping to meet the world’s growing grain demands more sustainably."

In Argentina, the company has received full regulatory approval for Genuity VT Triple PRO corn, which represents the first Genuity trait launched from Monsanto's pipeline in South America. The next and last step prior to commercialization is hybrid registration, which the company expects to complete this month.

In Brazil, Monsanto also has received full regulatory approval for insect-protected and glyphosate-tolerant BtRR2Y soybeans from the National Technical Biosafety Committee (CTNBio). The BtRR2Y soybean represents the first trait the company has developed specifically for a market outside the United States and the only soybean to combine Bt insect-protection technology with herbicide tolerance. BtRR2Y soybeans will be introduced in Brazil after import approvals in important markets are secured.

Monsanto said it considers Latin America a key growth market. More traits are becoming available in Brazil, and Argentina continues to see an uptick in acreage as growers upgrade to new technologies. The two markets are expected to serve as platforms to support the growing demands for grain and protein from global markets including China.