BASEL, SWITZERLAND — Syngenta has agreed to acquire the German and Polish winter wheat and winter oilseed rape breeding and business operations of Lantmännen, the Swedish food, energy and agriculture group. Financial terms were not disclosed.
As part of the acquisition, Syngenta will gain access to high-quality germplasm, a seeds pipeline and commercial varieties that complement the company’s portfolio in two of Europe’s most important crops. Lantmännen employees in Germany and Poland will join Syngenta.
The transaction will support the continued development of hybrid cereals to growers worldwide, and will strengthen Syngenta’s breeding program, enabling the development of highly competitive hybrids with yield stability and winter hardiness as well as broader disease resistance.
Syngenta and Lantmännen also will enter into a R.&D. collaboration in wheat, and Lantmännen will distribute Syngenta cereals and winter wheat and winter oilseed rape seeds in Sweden.
“This acquisition reinforces our position in the important cereals and WOSR markets of Germany and Poland, and immediately enables us to market Lantmännen seed for these crops in both countries,” said John Atkin, chief operating officer of Syngenta. “We will also incorporate their high-quality genetics into our international breeding programs to develop seeds that offer significant productivity benefits to growers.”
Johan Andersson, head of the agriculture sector for Lantmännen, said, “Through this deal Lantmännen will get the opportunity to commercialize Syngenta cereals and oilseed rape seeds in our home market. We will continue the breeding activities in Sweden and Holland in winter and spring wheat, spring barley, oats, triticale, spring oilseed rape, forage crops, willow and potatoes. Lantmännen will also continue to market seeds of these crops in Sweden as well as the international markets.”
