Nunhems, Bayer CropScience’s vegetable seed business, signs agreement with Unilever to co-develop new tomato varieties for taste, nutrition and health

Monday - February 5, 2007 - Monheim (Germany) / Haelen (NL) – Nunhems BV, Bayer CropScience’s vegetable seed business, has signed an agreement with Unilever to co-develop new tomato varieties with added benefits in taste, nutrition and health. The agreement includes the formation of a shared research, development and business platform for innovative tomato varieties as well as the acquisition of Unilever´s tomato seed business by Nunhems. Financial terms of this agreement were not disclosed.

Prof. Dr. Berschauer, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer CropScience commented: “The agreement with Unilever is a further consistent step in our strategy to find new product solutions for the food value-added chain. By cooperating with Unilever, we can thus contribute to improve nutrition and health of the consumers.”

“With Unilever’s R&D and consumer insights, and Nunhems expertise in vegetable seed genetics, this partnership is a win-win for both parties”, Dr. Orlando de Ponti, Nunhems’ Director of Research & Development commented. “We look forward to the growth that this agreement will offer to our global tomato portfolio.”

Emmo Meijer, Senior Vice President Unilever Foods R&D, commented: “This agreement is a demonstration of Unilever’s open innovation strategy. By joining forces with expert companies like Nunhems, Unilever secures world-class technology and increases its innovation rate in line with our Vitality Strategy. The tomato development technologies that we will co-develop with Nunhems will allow us to provide tasty and healthy products for consumers around the world.”

About Bayer CropScience and Nunhems
Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 5.9 billion in 2005, is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 19,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.newsroom.bayercropscience.com

The company’s vegetable seed business operates under the name of Nunhems. Nunhems® is the global specialist in vegetable seeds and sharing smart products, concepts and expertise with the professional horticultural production industry and supply chain. Its portfolio includes leading varieties and brands in crops such as leek, onion, carrot, melon, cucumber, tomato, watermelon, lettuce, pepper and chicory witloof. With annual sales of EUR 180 million in 2005, Nunhems is among the world´s four leading vegetable seed companies with an extensive rate of 28 species and some 2,500 varieties. With more than 1,200 people Nunhems is present in all major vegetable production areas in the world.

About Unilever
Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe. Its portfolio includes some of the world’s best known and most loved brands including twelve €1 billion brands and global leadership in many categories in which the company operates. The portfolio features brand icons such as: Knorr, Hellmann’s, Flora, Bertolli, Dove, Lux, Pond’s, Lynx, Sunsilk, Persil, Cif and Domestos. Unilever has around 206,000 employees in approaching 100 countries and generated annual sales of €40billion in 2005. For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.


Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer CropScience AG management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future consolidated results, financial situation, development or performance of the Bayer CropScience AG or our parent company, Bayer AG, and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer AG’s public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including Bayer AG’s Form 20-F). Neither Bayer AG nor Bayer CropScience AG assumes any liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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Corporate Policy & Media Relations

Bayer CropScience AG

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