Bayer to Purchase Seed Business of Granar S.A.
1 October 2014 Bayer CropScience said it entered into an agreement to purchase the seed business of Granar S.A., based in Encarnacion, Paraguay.
The private company, founded in 2001, specializes in the breeding, production and marketing especially of improved soybean seeds adapted to the growing conditions that prevail in subtropical regions.
Granar S.A. has a strong presence in Paraguay and Uruguay and a growing presence in Brazil, and employs approximately 50 people, Bayer said. Financial details were not disclosed. Especially important is the acquisition of the Igra Semillas brand of Granar S.A. Since it was founded, Granar S.A. and its Igra Semillas brand have established a solid presence in the Paraguayan market.
Granar S.A. will continue to be responsible for marketing Igra seed in 2014. Bayer will start selling the Igra Semillas brand from 2015. This important acquisition will enable Bayer CropScience to enter the soybean seed market in Paraguay for the first time, putting the company in a position to offer farmers a complete package for this crop.
“Soybeans are a crop with great strategic importance for the region and for Bayer CropScience. This acquisition gives us access to quality germplasm for future variety and trait development,” said Eduardo Estrada, head of Bayer CropScience Latin America. “With our current portfolio of products and with the Granar S.A. added-value varieties, we now find ourselves in a position where we can provide Paraguayan soybean farmers with a complete range of solutions which includes seed, crop protection products and services.”
Over the past three years, the company has announced various acquisitions in Latin America, including the germplasm bank of Agropastoril Melhoramento, the soybean companies Wehrtec and SoyTech, the plant breeding technology of CVR (all in Brazil), and the purchase of FN Semillas S.A. in Argentina
Get The Newsletter Today!
