The company posted quarterly net income of $1.19 billion, or $1.31 a share, up from $945 million, or $1.01 a share, a year earlier.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chemical company DuPont Co <DD.N> said on Tuesday that first-quarter earnings rose, spurred by strong results from its agricultural business.
The company posted quarterly net income of $1.19 billion, or $1.31 a share, up from $945 million, or $1.01 a share, a year earlier.
In recent months, DuPont's results have suffered because of the slump in the U.S. construction and automotive industries, but significant exposure to overseas markets and a booming agricultural sector have offset weakness at home.
The Wilmington, Delaware-based company has already raised its outlook for the quarter twice in recent weeks, on the back of solid demand for its biotech seed offerings.
!ADVERTISEMENT!Growing food demand from developing countries and global mandates for the increased use of biofuels have led to soaring grain prices that have encouraged farmers to use more high-yielding biotech seeds and increase fertilizer usage.
(Reporting by Euan Rocha; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
