Monsanto Co. (MON), a leading agricultural products producer and the world’s largest seed maker, made it known before the opening bell on October 7 that the company posted a greater loss in the 4Q this year, than in the same period a year ago. Company representative attribute the steeper loss to lower revenues, which were affected by increased competition within its herbicide division.

For the recent period, Monsanto recorded a net loss of $233M, or $0.43 per share, much greater than the $172M, or $0.31 per share loss amassed a year ago. Results showed that the loss widened by more than 35%.

Monsanto accrued several one-time charges throughout the quarter, and if excluded from the results, the company would have posted a net profit for the period of $0.02 per share. These charges were related to restructuring costs and the divestiture of the company’s sunflower operations.

Quarterly sales for the company came in at $1.88B, down more than 8% from the previous year’s total sales figure of $2.05B. Monsanto revealed that the downturn in quarterly revenues was a direct result from a decline in its Roundup brand, as well as other glyphosate-based herbicides due to an increase in pricing competition and a worldwide glyphosate supply and demand disparity.

On average, analysts within the industry were looking for the agriculture products giant to boast a quarterly profit of $0.01 per share based on total revenues for the period of $1.97B. Analysts typically exclude one-time charges from their projections.

Peeking further inside the company’s earnings report, Monsanto’s Agricultural Productivity unit, which consists primarily of lawn-and-garden herbicides and crop protection products, saw its sales decline from $1.11B a year ago to $971B.

Additionally, the company’s Seeds and Genomics division saw sales of its global seeds and related traits business and biotechnology platforms fall more than 4% year-over-year, slipping from $941M to $908M.

For the fiscal year 2009, Monsanto posted net income of $2.11B, or $3.80 per share, just above 2008’s earnings of $2.02B, or $3.62 per share, an increase in net profits of 4.5% year-over-year. Total net sales for the year came in at $11.7B, slightly ahead of the previous year’s total of $11.4B.

The increase in yearly revenues was attributed to higher global corn seed sales and trait revenues, as well as increased soybean seeds and traits within the U.S. Sales were also bolstered from higher cotton seed revenues that gained entry in to India’s and Australia’s crop markets.

Analysts, on average, were anticipating annual earnings from Monsanto of $4.41 per share based on total revenues generated of $11.84B.

Looking ahead, the company reiterated its fiscal year 2010 earnings estimates between $3.10 and $3.30 per share. On a GAAP-basis, the company is expecting yearly earnings to come in between $2.85 and $3.11 per share. In the meantime, analysts are looking for 2010 earning of $3.43 per share.

Inside their operating segments, Monsanto is expecting its seeds and traits unit to account for 85% of their total business by 2012, with a projected gross profit of more than $5B by the end of 2010.

Hugh Grant, Monsanto’s Chairman remarked on the company’s outlook, “What we’re seeing is the emergence of customers who have tried our technologies who are loyal supporters… and then there is another group who have still to try and are still on the edges. Our job…we need to drive adoption with that second group.”

By the conclusion of the October 7 trading session, shares of Monsanto retreated 1.4%, falling $1.04, to end the day at $74.33 per share. During the past year, the company’s stock price has escalated to a high of $96.79 per share, while trading as low as $63.47 per share.