Dive Brief:
- Monsanto, the largest agricultural seed company on earth, reported a net loss of $156 million in the fiscal fourth quarter, an improvement from the $249 million loss a year earlier.
- The company, which makes GMO seeds and herbicides under the Roundup brand, said sales of corn seed and genetic traits rose to $630 million from $618 million a year earlier. Soybean seeds and traits rose to $199 million from $87 million in the comparable quarter.
- Monsanto's crop-protection unit, which includes the Roundup herbicide, saw sales rise by $237 million to $1.25 billion.
Dive Insight:
The debate over GMO is playing out on lots of levels ... particularly retail. And while rivals like Syngenta face legal problems, Monsanto seems to be able to use its sheer size to power through any adversity.
The company said it expects some problems in 2015 as farmers pull back on expenses in response to low commodity prices. But Monsanto isn't slowing down. The company said it will invest another $350 million into its new data business, called Climate Corp.