AgroPages: Top 10 Most Read Seed Industry News in 2017

If you are asked to use a few words to describe the seed industry of 2017, which words will come to your mind? 2017 was a meaningful year for seed industry. The concentrated consolidations signal that a new industry landscape is taking shape. Consolidations, GMOs, Ag Biotech are the main tags we can see from the top 10 most read seed industry news of AgroPages in 2017.

1. Who owns who? A farmer’s guide to seed company mergers and acquisitions

Robert Walsh, an Elk Point, S.D., farmer and seed dealer, has charted the family trees for some of the major seed and chemical companies in the Midwest. He created two family trees. The first shows the evolution of five major brands, Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow, DuPont and AgReliant. The second is a more detailed chart of Syngenta’s brand history.

2. The Big Ag Consolidation: Synergy at the Expense of Innovation

Author: Keith Gillard, General Partner, Pangaea Ventures Ltd.
In December 2015, Dow and DuPont set off the greatest wave of consolidation ever seen in the agricultural chemistry and agricultural biology sector. Two years later, the two have become DowDuPont: the largest chemical company in the world. But in-between, the entire ag-chem-bio industry has been mired in uncertainty with a focus on demonstrating synergy, at the expense of innovation.

3. Summary and Analysis of Mergers between Global Seed Companies in 2016

Author: Jason Zhang, Editor, AgroPages
Following a large number of mergers in the past few years, the global seed market is now represented by multinationals such as Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, and Limagrain, who have expanded their businesses all over the world. Among them, Monsanto and DuPont, headquartered in Missouri and Delaware, respectively, in the United States, took 20% and 15% of the world’s total seed market share in 2014, ranking Nos 1 and 2.

4. BASF's late grab for Bayer seed assets marks strategy shift

BASF SE historically has boasted one of the widest portfolios in the chemicals industry, including products as dissimilar as cassette tapes and ulcer treatment. But it took a not-so-gentle nudge from the $160 billion wave of consolidation sweeping the agrochemical industry for the company to finally embrace seeds.

5. China approves two more GMO crops for import, DuPont disappointed

China has approved two more genetically modified (GMO) crops for import, the Ministry of Agriculture said, the second such move in the past month to expand access to biotech seeds as part of Beijing's 100-day trade talks with Washington.

6. ChemChina, Syngenta win U.S. antitrust approval for deal

The European Commission has decided not to renew the approval of the fungicide active ingredient picoxystrobin. EU member states shall withdraw authorisations for plant protection products containing picoxystrobin as active ingredient by 30 November 2017 at the latest.

7. BASF signs agreement to acquire significant parts of Bayer’s seed and non-selective herbicide businesses

October 13, 2017, BASF has signed an agreement to acquire significant parts of Bayer’s seed and non-selective herbicide businesses. Bayer intends to divest these assets in the context of its planned acquisition of Monsanto. The all-cash purchase price is €5.9 billion, subject to certain adjustments at closing. The assets to be acquired include Bayer’s global glufosinate-ammonium non-selective herbicide business, commercialized under the Liberty®, Basta® and Finale® brands, as well as its seed businesses for key row crops in select markets: canola hybrids in North America under the InVigor® brand using the LibertyLink® trait technology, oilseed rape mainly in European markets, cotton in the Americas and Europe as well as soybean in the Americas. The transaction also includes Bayer’s trait research and breeding capabilities for these crops and the LibertyLink® trait and trademark

8. Monsanto sales up 19% in Q1 FY 2017

Monsanto’s net sales increased by 19.4% to $2,650 million in the first quarter of FY 2017 ended Nov 30th of 2016, with gross profit up by 39.7% to $1,250 million. In 2017, the company remains focused on delivering on its operational plan and key business milestones while simultaneously working with Bayer on the necessary steps to finalize the deal to merge the companies, which is targeted for the end of calendar year 2017. Additionally, in its annual research-and-development update, the company will highlight more than 20 phase advancements across the industry’s broadest pipeline, which is focused on helping farmers address current and future challenges.

9. GMO regulation in Brazil and South America

Author:Debora Leite, Biotech Division Manager at Vigna Brasil
There is no doubt South America is an agricultural continent: accounting with more than 30% of the agriculture harvested area in the world, this region is responsible for over 12% of all the food exports. With a promise to boost this market and bring greater facilities to farmers, biotech-derived genetically modified (GM) crops were introduced into South America and their adoption is rapidly increasing since they were first approved for cultivation in Argentina in 1996. In recent years, Brazil and Argentina have sustained their position among the world’s top five countries growing biotech crops, while Paraguay and Uruguay are among the top 10.

10. Ag Biotech market map: 245 startups using biology & chemistry to revolutionize agriculture

Author: Brett Morris
Ag Biotech (agriculture biotechnology) applies to all technologies used on the farm involving biological or chemical processes. It is a broad category involving many types of technology and science, including breeding, genetics, microbiome research, and animal health and nutrition. Ag biotech is a central component of the agrifood tech investing landscape with startups raising $262 million in the first half of this year alone — 23% of farm technology fundraising figures.