Frankfurt/Reuters – Syngenta has said a $2 billion break-up fee that unwanted U.S. suitor Monsanto has pledged to pay if its proposed $45 billion merger failed would only apply in limited cases, leaving its shareholders exposed to the bulk of regulatory risks. Swiss Syngenta, the world’s largest maker of farming pesticides, told Reuters that based […] Read more
Syngenta says Monsanto’s $2 bln break-up fee comes with caveat
In bid for Syngenta, Monsanto woos U.S. farmer support
Reuters — As Monsanto struggles to convince rival Syngenta to discuss a potential merger, the seed and agrochemical giant is also wooing U.S. farmers, aiming to ease concerns about the proposed tie-up that could prompt regulatory challenges. Company executives have been criss-crossing the U.S. heartland, meeting with soybean and corn growers and a range of […] Read more
Influential hedge fund takes stake in Syngenta
Reuters — Hedge fund Paulson + Co. has taken a stake in Syngenta, and could push for the board of directors of the Swiss pesticide maker to accept a takeover offer from U.S. seed company Monsanto, people familiar with the matter said Tuesday. Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, made a US$45 billion bid for […] Read more
Ag groups launch bee initiative
Bees Matter is offering free seeds for pollinator-friendly gardens — and information on bees
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new program called Buzzing Gardens is offering Canadians free seeds to plant pollinator-friendly gardens. The program is an initiative of Bees Matter, a group consisting of chemical and agricultural groups including CropLife Canada, Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, the Canola Council of Canada, the Canadian Seed Trade Association, and the Canadian Honey Council. “The agricultural community […] Read more
Syngenta tests investor support for Monsanto opposition
Zurich/Frankfurt | Reuters — Syngenta will sound out shareholders in the coming days for their views on the Swiss crop chemicals maker’s opposition to rival Monsanto’s US$45 billion takeover approach. Any takeover offer needs to be at a fair price and provide a high degree of certainty that it will clear regulatory hurdles, Syngenta chairman […] Read more
Syngenta rejects Monsanto’s break fee offer
Monsanto’s offer of a US$2 billion break fee if it can’t get regulatory approval for a merger with crop biotech and ag chem rival Syngenta has been rejected. The offer, made in a letter from St. Louis-based Monsanto on Saturday, “represents the same inadequate price, same inadequate regulatory undertakings to close, same regulatory risks and same […] Read more
Monsanto sweetens Syngenta play with $2B break fee
New York | Reuters –– U.S. seed and ag chem firm Monsanto has offered to pay a US$2 billion reverse break-up fee to Syngenta if it can’t obtain global regulatory approvals for an acquisition, it said in a statement on Sunday. The move, under which Monsanto would pay the fee if regulators reject the proposal, […] Read more
Sources say BASF mulling potential bid for Syngenta
Reuters — German chemicals group BASF is considering a potential offer for Syngenta, its Swiss rival which has received a C$56 billion takeover offer from Monsanto, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. BASF is speaking to investment bankers about the possibility of an offer for Syngenta, though it has made no decision and […] Read more
Monsanto’s move on Syngenta could mean move away from glyphosate
Reuters — Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, is also known for the popularity of its Roundup herbicide, beloved by farmers and homeowners alike for its speed and deadly assault on tough weeds. But Monsanto’s ongoing efforts to try to take over Swiss ag chem firm Syngenta, a rival whose product portfolio offers an array […] Read more
Monsanto says would divest all of Syngenta’s seed business
Reuters — Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, said Wednesday it plans to divest Syngenta’s seeds and genetic traits businesses as well as some overlapping chemistry assets to win regulatory approval for a takeover of its Swiss rival. “We intend to make this a really clean deal… really easy to get done,” Monsanto president Brett […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
