Chicago | Reuters — Minnesota became the latest U.S. state on Tuesday to restrict controversial weed killers made by Monsanto and BASF that were linked to widespread crop damage, while Arkansas took a step back from imposing new limits. The U.S. has faced an agricultural crisis this year caused by new versions of the herbicides, […] Read more
Minnesota joins U.S. states limiting dicamba
Monsanto, BASF herbicides strain states with damage complaints
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farmers have overwhelmed state governments with thousands of complaints about crop damage linked to new versions of herbicides, threatening future sales by manufacturers Monsanto and BASF. Monsanto is banking on herbicides using dicamba — and seeds engineered to resist it — to dominate soybean production in the U.S., the world’s […] Read more
Bayer sees more antitrust asset sales ahead
Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer said it expected antitrust authorities to make the planned acquisition of Monsanto conditional on more asset sales after agreeing to sell seed and herbicide businesses for 5.9 billion euro (C$8.8 billion) to BASF. “By no means did the deal that was signed with BASF constitute the totality of antitrust divestitures… […] Read more
Dicamba label sufficient, Health Canada says
Health Canada will not be further regulating the use of dicamba herbicide sprayed on growing crops, as has happened in the U.S. The government agency that regulates pesticides issued a statement to Glacier FarmMedia reiterating its support for the current Canadian labels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week increased restrictions on the use […] Read more
BASF’s new Canadian stake to include three plants, 300 staff
Among the major players still in the world’s crop protection and seed business, remaining competitive comes at a cost. To be sure, several smaller companies remain in the game — but with marriages now consummated for Dow Chemical and DuPont, and for Syngenta and ChemChina, Bayer’s pending takeover of Monsanto and, now, BASF getting set […] Read more
U.S. EPA gives dicamba ‘restricted use’ label for 2018
New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new restrictions on Friday on the use of dicamba herbicide, which has caused widespread crop damage in the U.S. Midwest for the past two years. The EPA said in a statement that certain formulations of the substance will be classified as a restricted-use pesticide, […] Read more
BASF to harvest seeds, herbicide businesses from Bayer
Frankfurt | Reuters — BASF has agreed to buy seed and herbicide businesses from Bayer for 5.9 billion euros (C$8.7 billion) in cash, as Bayer tries to convince competition authorities to approve its planned acquisition of Monsanto. BASF, the world’s third-largest maker of crop chemicals, has so far avoided seed assets and instead pursued research […] Read more
Several U.S. scientists to skip Monsanto’s dicamba summit
Chicago | Reuters — Monsanto invited dozens of weed scientists to a summit this week to win backing for a controversial herbicide but many have declined, threatening the company’s efforts to convince regulators the product is safe to use. Monsanto faces a barrage of lawsuits over its dicamba herbicide and risks of tighter restrictions on […] Read more
U.S. EPA aims to allow dicamba use, with safeguards
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to allow farmers to spray the controversial herbicide dicamba next year, but with additional rules for its use, an official with the agency said on Tuesday. Reuben Baris, acting chief of the herbicide branch of the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, said the agency […] Read more
BASF to boost inoculant production at Saskatoon
The Canadian crop protection arm of Germany’s BASF plans to step up its game in the crop inoculant business with a $10 million expansion at its Saskatoon plant. The facility, set up in 1988, handles production and research and development for BASF’s seed- and soil-applied rhizobium/bacillus inoculants, exported and sold worldwide under the Nodulator brand […] Read more