Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

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    Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Filed By
Romeo and Dye's
Section 16 Filer
www.section16.net

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*

Poste George

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Monsanto Company (MON)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check all applicable)
X Director                                       10% Owner
    Officer (give title below)          Other (specify below)

                                                  

(Last)      (First)     (Middle)

P.O. Box 647
 

3. I.R.S. Identification Number
of Reporting Person,
if an entity (voluntary)

 

4. Statement for
Month/Day/Year
May 1, 2003

(Street)

Gilbertsville, PA 19525

5. If Amendment,
Date of Original
(Month/Day/Year)
 		 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X Form filed by One Reporting Person
    Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

(City)     (State)     (Zip)

Table I — Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1. Title of Security
(Instr. 3)

2. Trans-
action
Date
(Month/ Day/
Year)

2A. Deemed
Execution
Date,
if any
(Month/Day/
Year)

3. Trans-
action Code
(Instr. 8)

4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 & 5)

5. Amount of
Securities
Beneficially
Owned Follow-
ing Reported Transactions(s)
(Instr. 3 & 4)

6. Owner-
ship Form:
Direct (D)
or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

7. Nature of Indirect
Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

V

Amount

(A)
or
(D)

Price

Common Stock

05/01/2003

 

A(1)

 

28

A

$18.40

4,311(2)

D

 
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

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FORM 4 (continued)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security

(Instr. 3)

2. Conver-
sion or
Exercise
Price of Derivative Security

3. Trans-
action Date

(Month/
Day/
Year)

3A. Deemed
Execution
Date,
if any
(Month/
Day/
Year)

4. Trans-
action
Code

(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)

(Instr. 3, 4 & 5)

6. Date Exercisable
and Expiration
Date
(Month/Day/
Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 & 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)

9. Number of
Derivative
Securities
Beneficially
Owned
Following
Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10. Owner-
ship Form
of Deriv-
ative
Security:
Direct (D)
or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exer-cisable

Expira-
tion
Date

Title

Amount or Number of
Shares

Option (right to buy)

$16.395

 

 

 

 

 

 

02/19/06

02/18/13

Common Stock

10,000

 

10,000

D

 

Explanation of Responses:

(1) Represents shares of common stock issued as dividends with respect to shares of deferred common stock deliverable upon termination as a director under the Monsanto Company Non-Employee Director Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. Shares of deferred stock are credited in the form of hypothetical shares to a stock unit account in installments on the last day of each plan month during the director's term and for the payment of dividends. Shares of deferred stock not credited to the stock unit account because of termination as a director before the end of the director's term are forfeited.
(2) Includes 4,283 shares of deferred common stock deliverable under the Monsanto Company Non-Employee Director Equity Incentive Compensation Plan; and 28 shares of common stock issued as dividends with respect to such shares.
(3) Michael L. DeCamp, attorney-in-fact for George H. Poste under a Power of Attorney previously filed.
  By: /s/ Michael L. DeCamp(3)
              
**Signature of Reporting Person		 May 2, 2003
Date

**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
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