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☆ 24. Carbon Robotics
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In a sign of how the ties between the deepest players in the field of artificial intelligence and other sectors of the economy are growing, Nvidia just announced a venture investment in Carbon Robotics in May. Carbon Robotics is a pioneer in AI-powered agricultural robotics designed to help farmers cut costs, boost production and improve crop yield. In 2023, Carbon Robotics opened two new facilities: Carbon Robotics North and its Richland, Washington-based laser refurbishing and manufacturing facility, allowing the company to increase production rates — it says demand tripled year over year in 2023. Carbon Robotics has also added seven European languages to the LaserWeeder's iPad operator app. To continue its growth, Carbon Robotics raised $43 million in new capital in 2023, just over half of the $80 million it has raised since its founding.

Persons: it's, Paul Mikesell Organizations: Monsanto, Syngenta, BASF, Nvidia, Carbon Robotics, NBC, Deere, Robotics, AndNowUKnow, Stout Industrial Technology, Bear Flag Robotics, Technology Locations: Richland , Washington, Europe, Australia

☆ Brazil Authorities Crack Down on Illegal Pesticides Trade
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The parallel trade in pesticides, which would represent about 20% of the entire Brazilian market, according to a lobby group, highlights supply chain risks faced by global grain traders in farm powerhouse Brazil. Increasingly, criminals are using structures involving front companies that arrange false invoices, produce fake labels, smuggle and move the illegal products. For example, authorities tested batches of seized insecticide Thiamethoxam that showed a 95% concentration of the active ingredient, whereas the highest concentration allowed in Brazil is 50%, the PRF said. Last year, the industry welcomed a new law setting harsher penalties for those producing, storing or shipping illegal pesticides in Brazil. The new law was signed as seizures of illegal pesticides rose threefold in eight years, to 195.7 tons in 2023, according to PRF data.

Persons: Ana Mano, Criminals, Brazil's, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Ana Mano SAO PAULO, Reuters, Basf, Bayer Locations: Brazil, China, India

☆ Agrochemicals group Syngenta indicates $10 bln IPO likely next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A logo is seen at the headquarters of agricultural chemical maker Syngenta in Basel, Switzerland January 30, 2020. "Given weak market conditions we expect that the company will IPO by the end of next year," a company spokesman said on Thursday after Syngenta reported its Q3 earnings. The IPO update came as Syngenta, which competes with U.S. company Corteva (CTVA.N) and German firms BASF (BASFn.DE) and Bayer (BAYGn.DE), reported its latest earnings. Syngenta, which recently announced a change of chief executive and chief financial officer, has been pursuing an IPO for nearly two and half years. Syngenta was bought by ChemChina in 2017 for $43 billion and folded it into Sinochem Holdings Corp in 2021.

Persons: Arnd, Syngenta, John Revill, Kirsti Knolle, Robert Birsel Organizations: Syngenta, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, BASF, Bayer, Shanghai Stock Exchange, ChemChina, Sinochem Holdings Corp, Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, Swiss, Brazil

☆ Arkansas orders Chinese-owned seed producer Syngenta to sell US farmland
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CHICAGO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Arkansas ordered Syngenta to sell 160 acres (65 hectares) of farmland in the U.S. state within two years on Tuesday because the company is Chinese-owned, drawing a sharp rebuke from the global seeds producer. U.S. farm groups and lawmakers are increasingly scrutinizing foreign land ownership due to concerns about national security. "Our people in Arkansas are Americans led by Americans who care deeply about serving Arkansas farmers," Das said. The state also fined Syngenta $280,000 for failure to report foreign ownership in a timely manner. "All Syngenta land holdings have been examined by the U.S. government, through two administrations, as Syngenta was transitioning to ChemChina ownership," Das said.

Persons: Syngenta, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Saswato Das, Das, Tim Griffin, Griffin, Northrup, Huckabee Sanders, Tom Polansek, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: BASF, Bayer, Sinochem Holdings Corp, Northrup King Seed, Syngenta, U.S . Department of Agriculture, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Arkansas, U.S, Craighead County, China, ChemChina, Shanghai

Northrup is a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds, which is owned by China National Chemical Company, or ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned company. Concern has been growing in many states about foreign ownership of farmland. Prior to this year, 14 states had laws prohibiting or restricting foreign ownership and investments in private farmland. Under the Arkansas law, if a company doesn’t divest of the land, the state can take action in court. The surge in state laws targeting land ownership by certain foreigners represents a “a political flashpoint” that Brown says stems from some highly publicized cases of Chinese-connected entities purchasing land near military bases in North Dakota and Texas.

Persons: Tim Griffin, Northrup King, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Northrup, ” Sanders, Griffin, Syngenta, Micah Brown, ”, Brown, David Lieb Organizations: —, Northrup King Seed, Republican, GOP Gov, Syngenta, China National Chemical Company, National Agriculture Law Center, University of Arkansas, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Associated Locations: — Arkansas, Craighead County, Arkansas, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, North Dakota, Texas, Jefferson City , Missouri

Spanish farmer Miguel Moreno was an early adopter of so-called cover crops. Spain's drought-hit olive oil production slumped to 663,000 tonnes last year, less than half the average of 1.45 million tons recorded in the previous four harvests, according to the government. In January, it began subsidising farmers who use cover crops as part of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). She said the company was pushed both by customers such as Walmart in the U.S. and by regulation to buy olive oil from producers using sustainable practices. Ecology professor Manzaneda is also coordinator of EU-funded project SOIL O-LIVE and is testing methods for coaxing Albacete's degraded earth back to health.

Persons: Chiclana de Segura, Jon Nazca, Andrea Ronca, Miguel Moreno, Angel, Dcoop, Gonzalo Delacamara, Emilio Gonzalez, Antonio Manzaneda, Manzaneda, Olive, Syngenta, Luis Miranda, Domingo, Marco Trevisan, Dean, Simone Rech, Catalonia's Cava, Sebastiano Conti, Charlie Devereux, Antonella, Corina Pons, Keith Weir, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Southern, VILLANUEVA DEL ARZOBISPO, Farmers, European Union, of Nutrition, Plant Science, IE, Water, University of Cordoba, University of Jaen, European, Walmart, Swiss, Syngenta, EU, TECH, Smart, Milan Polytechnic, University of Brescia, of Agricultural Sciences, Catholic University of Piacenza, Thomson Locations: Olive, Chiclana, Jaen, Spain, ROME, Italy, Madrid, European, France, Germany, Mantua, Andalusia, European Union, U.S, ITALY, Treviso, Venice, Sicily

☆ Is China really buying up U.S. farmland? Here’s what we found
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Laura Strickler | Nicole Moeder | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In fact, the total amount of U.S. agricultural land owned by Chinese interests is less than three-hundredths of 1%. NBC News was able to review filings on foreign purchases and leases of agricultural land, meaning both farm and forestry land, from 35 states since Jan. 1, 2022. The vast majority of the transactions were European wind power companies leasing land from U.S. farmers to build wind turbines. One Italian wind company disclosed 40 new leases of farmland in just one rural Illinois county. "Ownership of U.S. agricultural land is not one of them."

Persons: Jim Monroe, Syngenta, Saswato Das Organizations: NBC, U.S . Department of Agriculture, NBC News, Smithfield Foods, U.S, Syngenta Locations: U.S, Italian, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, China, Iowa, Florida, California, Swiss

☆ Exclusive-Bayer investor Artisan calls for breakup of company
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Richa Naidu | Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Artisan wants the drugs-to-pesticides company to find new owners for its over-the-counter and pharmaceutical units, it said. Before taking over as CEO, Anderson said he was keeping an open mind on whether to break up the company. Artisan is Bayer’s 16th biggest investor, according to Refinitiv data. Samra said the chairman of Bayer’s supervisory board, Norbert Winkeljohann, has not directly written a letter back to Artisan, but said Artisan had “been in contact” with the company. Samra said Artisan “has not suggested specifically how (Bayer) should restructure their business” in the letter.

Persons: “, Wolfgang Rattay, Bill Anderson, Roche, Anderson, ” David Samra, Bayer, ” Samra, they’re, ” Bayer, Werner Baumann, Samra, Norbert Winkeljohann, China’s Syngenta, Johnson Organizations: Bayer, Artisan Partners, Reuters, Bayer AG, REUTERS, Bluebell Capital Partners, Artisan, Artisan’s, Science, pharma, Johnson, GSK Locations: Leverkusen, Germany, Swiss

☆ China IPOs are uncoupling from Wall Street too
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Increasingly it is detaching from Wall Street too. Nonetheless, the Shanghai Stock Exchange will hold a hearing for the deal on Friday, per Refinitiv’s IFR. Syngenta is a pillar in Beijing’s strategy to shore up food security and will use the deal to pay down debt. The landmark IPO coincides with signs that Wall Street’s small position in the market is shrinking further. Syngenta’s blockbuster IPO will be an awkward new milestone for Wall Street already facing life in China’s second tier.

Persons: Beijing’s, It’s, Dealogic, Xavier Niel, Pete Sweeney, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Agricultural Bank of, Shanghai Stock Exchange, HK, BOC, Citic Securities, Twitter, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Agricultural Bank of China’s, Hong Kong, China’s, Una

☆ Syngenta’s bumper IPO will test Chinese appetite: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, June 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The seeds-to-pesticides group is planning a $9 bln stock market float in Shanghai this year. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how investors need to get comfortable with its high debt levels and use of toxic chemicals that could hurt its valuation. Subscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Oliver TaslicOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Shanghai

☆ Syngenta’s IPO is more relief than triumph
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, May 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Syngenta’s $9 billion Chinese market listing finally looks ripe. With Chinese markets in choppy waters, stability-minded domestic regulators could still have cold feet about Syngenta’s mammoth initial public offering. But a reform to fast-track Chinese listings introduced earlier this year suggests a debut is imminent. The seeds-and-pesticide maker has since erased nearly $20 billion of debt, partly thanks to debt-to-equity swaps with ChemChina. Syngenta’s dragged-out market debut will be more of a relief than a triumph.

☆ U.S. trade consultations on Mexico's GMO corn rule 'unacceptable violation' of law -Mexican official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Adriana Barrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - Trade consultations requested by the United States on Mexico's plan to limit the use of genetically modified corn are an "unacceptable violation" of Mexican law and feed the interests of seed "oligopolies," a top Mexican official said on Thursday. The United States, Mexico's main trading partner, requested the consultations in early March under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement, which calls for a science-based approach to domestic regulations. "The United States' request to Mexico follows the interests of seed, agrochemical, and other food-producing oligopolies," said Mexican Deputy Agriculture Minister Victor Suarez. Washington requested consultations after Mexico softened an original plan to ban GMO corn across the board and instead opened its use for animal feed and industrial use. The Mexican policy "does not affect U.S. corn producers in any way," Suarez said, contradictory to the U.S.' claims.

☆ After growing GM corn for decades, some US farmers open to Mexican restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"I'm all for free and fair trade," said Fred Huddlestun, who grows GM corn and soybeans in Yale, Illinois. Supporters of the policy say GM corn can contaminate Mexico's age-old native varieties and have questioned its impact on human health. NCGA said GM corn is safe and it will fight all illegal trade barriers for farmers. But many would consider growing more non-GM corn, if the price were right. "You need to make it worth my while," said Illinois farmer Dave Kestel, who grows GM corn and sells seed for Corteva.

☆ UBS Credit Suisse rescue is messy but unstoppable
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Very few people seem to want UBS (UBSG.S) and Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) to merge, but it’s unlikely that anyone will stop it. Switzerland’s Federal Prosecutor has opened an investigation into the state-arranged deal, the office of the attorney general said on Sunday. Credit Suisse’s share price is just 3% below the level where it should be based on the deal terms. A Credit Suisse 2033 bond , which could be converted to equity and potentially wiped out in a resolution, trades with a 6.4% yield, compared with 13% before the rescue. The lower return implies a high likelihood that it will be absorbed by UBS through the merger.

☆ H&M’s targets may call the peak on cost inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Thursday, the $20 billion fast-fashion retailer said its sales rose by 3% year-on-year in the three months that ended in Feb. 28. More importantly, she is now targeting a 10% operating margin in 2024. The retailer’s operating margin halved in 2022 to 3.2% as the price of cotton, freight, staff and energy costs ate up a larger share of its revenue. Delivering a 10% operating margin next year would imply that she expects the worst to be over in terms of commodity-price inflation and a wider economic slowdown. H&M’s share price rose by 15% on Thursday.

☆ UK car targets count on the kindness of strangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The UK has followed the European Union in watering down plans to phase out fossil fuel cars – sort of. UK car production has roughly halved since the Brexit vote to just 900,000 cars last year, according to Inovev data. The shift to electric vehicles will see carmakers want robust local battery supply chains and cheap energy, in which the UK is lagging. Sunak on Thursday announced support for the energy transition, and hinted at more money for carmakers “in the coming months”. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Adidas adds risk by tripping over its sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Adidas (ADSGn.DE) is having a hard time keeping its feet out of its mouth. On Wednesday, the $28 billion sneaker maker withdrew a trademark objection to Black Lives Matter over its use of three stripes in its logo 48 hours after filing it. The timing of Adidas’s objection looks tin-eared. It could have devised a partnership arrangement with Black Lives Matter that featured both brands. Trying to pick a fight with an organisation popular with young consumers shows that Adidas’s biggest risk is its mouth.

☆ Apple awkwardly pushes into buy-now-pay-later
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Apple (AAPL.O) is late to the buy-now-pay-later party. If anyone can help validate the product, it’s Apple, but times are considerably tougher. Apple will be well-versed in these risks, but a bigger crackdown is probably coming. What’s more, shifting consumer sentiment and a cooling economy could hurt demand and increase the risk of bad loans. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Syngenta IPO delay rekindles past China fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Syngenta’s bumpy relisting path in the People’s Republic brings back unpleasant investor memories. The Shanghai Stock Exchange had scheduled this week a hearing, one of the last steps before listing. The exchange’s rules vaguely mandate that any “major issue” affecting an IPO would justify the postponement. It’s unclear how long a drag this would cause, but Shenzhen VMAX New Energy had been on a similar boat: its IPO hearing was abruptly cancelled in January, only to be rescheduled two months later. Ant’s $37 billion Shanghai IPO was pulled in 2020 shortly before its shares were due to start trading.

☆ Shanghai exchange cancels Syngenta IPO hearing -filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, March 28 (Reuters) - The Shanghai Stock Exchange has cancelled a hearing to review Swiss agrichemicals and seeds group Syngenta's initial share offering (IPO) plan, a filing posted on the exchange showed. Syngenta, which planned to raise 65 billion yuan ($9.44 billion) in its Shanghai flotation, was bought for $43 billion by ChemChina in 2017 and folded into Sinochem Holdings Corp in 2021. The Shanghai exchange, which planned to conduct the hearing on Wednesday, did not provide a reason for the cancellation. Companies planning IPOs on the exchange need to appear before a panel for a hearing as a requirement for proceeding with their listing. ($1 = 6.8821 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Meg Shen and Twinnie Siu; editing by Jason Neely, Jane Merriman and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Macron is right and wrong on share buybacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Emmanuel Macron dislikes the “cynicism” of large profitable companies engaging in massive share buyback programmes. The French president has a point that there are better ways for companies to spend their profits than to reduce their share count. Share buybacks in Europe’s largest 11 markets nearly doubled last year to 161 billion euros, according to a report by BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), which itself is spending some 5 billion euros - or half its net profit - to acquire its own stock. And from an economic viewpoint, money spent cuddling shareholders would be better spent on investment and growth. That said, the scope for one country to regulate share buybacks in isolation – and to stop companies just paying out special dividends instead - is dubious.

☆ Syngenta 4Q profit falls as raw material prices increase
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, March 22 (Reuters) - Swiss agrichemicals and seeds group Syngenta on Wednesday reported a 25% drop in fourth quarter earnings due to higher raw materials and energy costs. Sales rose 4% to $7.5 billion boosted by strong growth in its seeds business. "As previously indicated, farmers accelerated their purchases earlier in the year due to supply concerns, moderating fourth quarter growth," the company said. "The group continued to maintain higher prices necessary to offset elevated raw material and other costs," it added. The parent company plans to keep a majority stake after its $10 billion flotation, which is expected to value Syngenta at around $50 billion.

☆ GameStop surge ignores basic rule of value
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - GameStop (GME.N) investors sent the company’s shares up 40% on Wednesday morning after fourth-quarter results showed it had swung to a net profit. That suggests the company that counts Chewy Founder Ryan Cohen as its chair has put some of its meme-fueled fundraising to use. Unfortunately, investors have forgotten that with such a surge, GameStop will have to grow into a new valuation. The chain reported net profit of $48 million compared with a loss of $148 million in the same quarter a year ago. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ All’s fair in love and stablecoins
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - If a stablecoin isn’t first, it’s last, as Circle has learned this month. The company that issues USDC lost its peg to the dollar earlier this month because of worries about the $3.3 billion it held at Silicon Valley Bank. Though Circle recovered the funds from the bank, customers pulled $6 billion from it, according to Bloomberg. Circle Chief Executive Jeremy Allaire, in contrast, does regular rounds in Washington and has argued for regulation. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Syngenta’s weakening crops may dim IPO prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Syngenta’s earnings hit comes at an unfortunate time. Yet a 25% fall in fourth-quarter EBITDA may dim owner ChemChina’s hope for a bumper valuation. Valued on the same 9.2 times multiple as Corteva (CTVA.N), the business may command a valuation of less than $50 billion. In 2022, Syngenta reported the lowest EBITDA growth and margin of its three main rivals: Corteva, Bayer (BAYGn.DE) and BASF (BASFn.DE). They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

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