In order for Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto to close in the second quarter of 2018, several divestitures have occurred. In addition to the agreement signed in October 2017, BASF has agreed to purchase the following assets
- Bayer’s entire vegetable seeds business, operating under the global trademark Nunhems,
- seed treatment products sold under the Poncho, VOTiVO, COPeO and ILeVO brands,
- the R&D platform for hybrid wheat and
- the complete state-of-the-art digital farming platform xarvio. The transaction also includes Bayer’s oilseed rape business in Australia; certain glyphosate-based herbicides in Europe, used predominantly for industrial applications; the canola-quality juncea research and certain non-selective herbicide and nematicide research projects. The all-cash purchase price for the additional businesses and assets BASF agreed to acquire is €1.7 billion, subject to certain adjustments at closing. For the full year 2017, sales of these businesses amounted to around €745 million.
This purchase is in addition to the acquisition of Bayer’s global glufosinate-ammonium non-selective herbicide business; seeds businesses for key row crops in select markets and trait research and breeding capabilities for these crops along with the LibertyLink trait and trademark. These businesses generated sales of €1.5 billion in 2017. The all-cash purchase price for this prior transaction is €5.9 billion, subject to certain adjustments at closing.
Both transactions, with combined 2017 sales of €2.2 billion and combined 2016 sales of €2.0 billion, complement BASF’s crop protection business and biotechnology activities, adding new capabilities and opportunities for profitable growth and innovation. The all-cash purchase price for the combined acquisition is €7.6 billion, subject to certain adjustments at closing. In 2016, the combined businesses generated EBITDA of €550 million (on a pro forma adjusted basis).
“With our expanded portfolio across seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil and plant health, and digital farming applications, we will have even more tools to support farmers,” explained Markus Heldt, president of BASF’s Crop Protection division.
Source: BASF April 26, 2018 news release