Reuters — The Canadian Competition Bureau said on Thursday it was investigating certain agriculture companies for alleged anticompetitive practices over allegations of trying to block an online farm-supply startup from doing business in Western Canada. The regulator did not provide details on specific companies involved in the probe, but documents filed on Jan. 30 in […] Read more
Competition Bureau probing big ag chem companies
Probe to look at firms' response to FBN's arrival in Canada
Corteva to accelerate Enlist E3 soybean rollout
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. seed and crop chemical maker Corteva said Thursday it will accelerate production of its next-generation biotech soybean seeds and complementary herbicides in Canada and the U.S. over the next five years. The move heightens the competition for sales to farmers with rivals Bayer and BASF. Up to 20 per cent […] Read more
AGI buys ag business management software muscle
Grain handling equipment maker Ag Growth Industries (AGI) plans to level up on its SureTrack farm management software platform with a deal for another Canadian player in the same business. Winnipeg-based AGI announced Thursday it has bought all outstanding shares in Oakville, Ont.-based Affinity Management Ltd., developer of the Compass brand of farm and agribusiness […] Read more
BASF Ag Solutions to move Canadian head office west
The Canadian arm of BASF Agricultural Solutions plans to relocate its head office to Calgary from Mississauga effective Oct. 1. The crop protection arm of the German chemical company said Wednesday it wants to move the Canadian head office “closer to customers” after closing its deals last year to buy a “range of businesses and […] Read more
DowDuPont’s Corteva arm buys Clearfield canola system
On the market since last summer, BASF’s herbicide-tolerant, non-GMO Clearfield canola business in Canada and the U.S. has landed at the door of Corteva Agriscience. Corteva, the merged seed and chemical business of Dow and DuPont, announced Wednesday it has closed a deal to buy the Clearfield system, including its herbicide-tolerant canola trait and related […] Read more
Canola, corn, soy traits to move forward with China approvals
Approvals from China are expected to allow several major trait developments to move ahead in Canadian canola, corn and soybean fields. The Reuters news service on Tuesday reported safety certificate approvals from China’s ministry of agriculture and rural affairs for biotech traits including: Bayer’s 88302, or TruFlex canola, approved in Canada since 2012; BASF’s RF3, […] Read more
Ag trade flows may change amid trade dispute, Bayer says
Monheim | Reuters — Bayer said on Tuesday it would be difficult to predict 2019 earnings at its agriculture business, which now includes Monsanto, because a U.S.-Chinese trade dispute could reroute global trade flows in farming commodities. The head of Bayer’s crop science division told Reuters his company could even benefit if U.S. farmers switched […] Read more
Canada clears Bayer’s Monsanto play, with conditions
Canada’s Competition Bureau says it’s “actively reviewing” BASF’s suitability as a buyer of the crop seed and chemical assets Bayer has to sell to get the bureau’s blessing to buy Monsanto. The Competition Bureau said Wednesday it has an agreement with Bayer to deal with “concerns that the proposed transaction would have significantly harmed competition […] Read more
Bayer wins U.S. nod for Monsanto deal to create ag giant
Frankfurt/Washington | Reuters — Bayer won U.S. approval for its planned takeover of Monsanto after agreeing to sell about US$9 billion in assets, clearing a major hurdle for the US$62.5 billion deal that will create by far the largest seeds and pesticides maker. Makan Delrahim, who heads the U.S. Justice Department’s (DoJ) antitrust division, said […] Read more
Bayer cuts Monsanto synergy target on divestments
Bonn | Reuters — Bayer said positive synergy effects from the planned takeover of U.S. seeds and chemical firm Monsanto would be about US$300 million below its previous target because it will sell more businesses than initially expected to get antitrust approval. Bayer CEO Werner Baumann again threw his weight behind the deal, despite higher […] Read more