Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — State-owned China National Chemical Corp. has raised its offer to buy Syngenta by about $2 billion, to US$44 billion, proposing a two-stage takeover of the agrochemical company, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. ChemChina has offered 470 Swiss francs (C$661) per share to buy 70 per cent of Syngenta with an option to acquire the […] Read more
ChemChina to sweeten bid for Syngenta to $44B
Dow, DuPont to merge in deal to create chem giant
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Chemical giants DuPont and Dow Chemical agreed to merge in an all-stock deal valuing the combined company at US$130 billion in a win for activist investors that could spark further consolidation in the farm chemicals industry. The deal to combine two of the biggest and oldest U.S. chemical producers is a prelude to […] Read more
Monsanto-backed panel says glyphosate not carcinogenic
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — A panel of scientists is disputing a World Health Organization report published earlier this year that concluded glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer and main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is probably carcinogenic to humans. The 16-member panel, assembled by Intertek Scientific and Regulatory Consultancy, was to present its findings to […] Read more
Syngenta ready to play role in sector shake-up
Reading Time: 2 minutes Frankfurt | Reuters — Syngenta and other major seeds and crop chemicals companies are intensively discussing tie-ups, the Financial Times quoted the Swiss firm’s chairman as saying Wednesday, adding to a chorus of voices predicting a sector shake-up. Conversations among the leading players in the industry are “extremely active,” the newspaper quoted Michel Demare as […] Read more
Ag chem division not for sale, Bayer says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Frankfurt | Reuters — German drugs and pesticide maker Bayer on Wednesday reaffirmed it would hold on to its crop chemicals business as talk of consolidation in the industry continued. Asked for a comment on remarks by Monsanto executives that the U.S. seeds giant was in internal discussions about tie-ups in the industry, a Bayer […] Read more
Syngenta still among options for Monsanto takeover bids
Reading Time: 3 minutes St. Louis | Reuters — Monsanto executives are discussing whether the world’s largest seed company should acquire agrochemical rivals, including top pesticide maker Syngenta, Monsanto president Brett Begemann said Tuesday. “Everybody’s talking now. There’s multiple ways things can occur,” he said. Monsanto abandoned a $45 billion bid for Syngenta in August (all figures US$). Begemann […] Read more
Highlights of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2015
Old favourites were aplenty but some of the new demanded more attention
Reading Time: 6 minutes Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show makes us expect to see “something new.” Everything from multi-hybrid planters to robotic milkers and the latest in all-terrain vehicles have made their debuts at the Woodstock, Ont. show. This year’s 22nd annual edition was no exception. Below, we discuss some of the launches and announcements that caught our attention. First, […] Read more
Syngenta reported rejecting ChemChina takeover offer
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Syngenta has rejected ChemChina’s offer to buy the Swiss agricultural chemicals group, citing regulatory concerns, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. China National Chemical Corp., better known as ChemChina, offered about 449 Swiss francs (C$597) per share for Syngenta, valuing the Basel, Switzerland-based company at about 41.7 billion Swiss francs (C$55.4 billion), according to the […] Read more
EU scientists say glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — Glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which nevertheless proposed limits on Thursday on the amount of residue of the herbicide widely used by farmers deemed safe to consume. The EFSA advises EU policymakers and its conclusion could lead the 28-member European […] Read more
The next ‘biotechnology’
Faster to market, with even more potential usage, microbial innovations are set to enhance today’s biotech options
Reading Time: 7 minutes When the word “biotech” first leapt onto the agri-food scene, there were plenty of proponents and opponents for the science of implanting different genes into corns, soybean and canola genetics. The first Bt hybrids offered yield advantages, and the early days of glyphosate-tolerant soybeans saw cost savings that began with weed management practices but also […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
