Bayer sets ambitious targets for 2014

The Bayer Group sees good perspectives for its businesses in the medium term. “In the life science areas – HealthCare and CropScience – we anticipate further increases in sales and margins through 2014,” said CEO Dr. Marijn Dekkers at the “Meet Management” investor conference on Wednesday in Leverkusen. Sales of Bayer CropScience aims to raise sales to more than EUR 8 billion.  This subgroup plans to achieve volume gains in excess of the rate of global GDP growth. Targets are based on the most recent currency assumptions, including an exchange rate of US$1.40 to the euro.

Dekkers expressed his confidence for the CropScience business: “In both crop protection and seed technology, Bayer also has development pipelines that are well stocked with promising projects. We aim to post sales of roughly EUR 1.5 billion in 2014 with new crop protection products that we have introduced to the market since 2006,” said Dekkers, citing the Xpro™ and Luna™ fungicides as examples of promising new developments in this area.

The principal growth driver at CropScience is the BioScience business, which specializes in seeds and plant traits. Here, the company is aiming for average annual growth rates of about 20 percent through 2014, as in the past three years.

"We intend to raise sales of Bayer CropScience to more than EUR 8 billion by 2014 and improve the underlying EBITDA margin to about 24 percent,” said Dekkers. Subgroup sales last year came in at EUR 7.3 billion, while the underlying EBITDA margin was 22.8 percent.

"I am optimistic about Bayer’s medium-term development overall,” Dekkers remarked. “Our innovations and their successful commercialization are the foundation for this company’s continued growth.” The Bayer CEO said the company works every day to build on its position as a world-class inventor company that improves the lives of many people with its innovative products and solutions. He said this is what the mission “Bayer: Science For A Better Life” is all about.