Following publication on May 25 of the final commitments given by Bayer to the EU Commission, yesterday KWS SAAT SE (Monday, May 28, 2018) issued a non-binding offer to Bayer AG for its global vegetable seed business, which operates primarily under the name Nunhems. KWS is thus renewing a non-binding bid it made in January 2018 and is offering Bayer and its shareholders attractive terms and conditions for the sale of the vegetable seed business. In order to complete the transaction with Monsanto, Bayer AG had assured the antitrust authorities that it would sell crop science businesses, including its vegetable seed business.
If Nunhems were acquired by KWS, the agricultural sector, farmers and consumers alike would benefit from the sale to an independent seed company without an agrochemicals division. One of KWS’s prime goals is to enhance sustainable agriculture by developing resource-saving, high-yielding varieties, including in vegetable breeding to a greater extent in the future. Both KWS and Nunhems have driven numerous innovations in the past such as to provide farmers and consumers with a diverse range of high-quality products.
As one of the leading international plant breeding companies, and backed by more than 160 years of experience, KWS operates successfully as an independent seed specialist in many markets. KWS’s particular focus is on agricultural crops. With its strong product performance, particular customer proximity and strategic industry partnerships, KWS is excellently positioned. If and when the chances present themselves, KWS aims to continue leveraging growth opportunities through company acquisitions as it moves forward. As a Dutch vegetable seed company with a long tradition, Nunhems has also been a respected international leader for many years. With its products, expertise and strong customer centricity, Nunhems is a strategically sensible complement to KWS’s existing portfolio and would dovetail seamlessly into KWS’s corporate culture and its long-term orientation.
About KWS*
KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. In the 2016/2017 fiscal year, 4,950 employees in 70 countries generated net sales of €1.080 billion and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of €132 million. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for more than 160 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for corn, sugarbeet, cereals, rapeseed and sunflowers. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield and resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested €190 million the last fiscal year in research and development, which amounts to 17 percent of its net sales. For more information: www.kws.de. Follow us on Twitter® at https://twitter.com/KWS_Group.
* All figures excluding the shares of the equity-accounted companies AGRELIANT GENETICS LLC., AGRELIANT GENETICS INC. and KENFENG – KWS SEEDS CO., LTD.
