Corteva Agriscience Acquires Full Ownership of PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC Joint Venture

Rhea-AI Summary

Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) announced the acquisition of J.G. Boswell Company's interest in PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC, increasing its ownership from 53.5% to 100%. This strategic move aims to enhance Corteva's commitment to the U.S. cottonseed market, allowing full control over intellectual property and proprietary technologies. The acquisition underscores the company's focus on long-term growth through targeted investments, expanding its global cottonseed portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Positive

• Acquisition increases ownership of PhytoGen Seed Company to 100%, enhancing market control.
• Strengthens Corteva's commitment to the U.S. cottonseed industry, allowing for market expansion.
• Full control over intellectual property and proprietary technologies could lead to innovation.
• Expected synergies from the integration of PhytoGen's strengths with Corteva's offerings.

Negative

• None.

WILMINGTON, Del., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) today announced the Company signed an agreement with J.G. Boswell Company to purchase its ownership interest in PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC – a joint venture between the two companies.

PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC was formed to focus on the U.S. cottonseed industry. With a 53.5% stake prior to the agreement, Corteva has operated this joint venture in the U.S. market through its wholly owned subsidiary, Mycogen LLC.

"This acquisition provides a solid proof point of our consistent commitment to driving long-term growth through targeted investments in solid margin opportunities that at the same time strengthen our ability to serve our customers," said James C. Collins, Jr., Corteva Agriscience Chief Executive Officer.

"With this action, we intend to build on the strong foundation we established with J.G. Boswell Company over the last two decades – continuing to serve cotton customers with our growing global portfolio of leading cottonseed products," said Steve Reno, Corteva Agriscience Seed Business Platform President. "This step further strengthens Corteva Agriscience's commitment to the cotton market – and positions the Company well to diversify and grow this business globally over time."

Corteva has a high-yielding, elite germplasm portfolio, with breeding infrastructure and technologies expected to continue to advance genetic gain – together with industry-leading trait technologies to address existing and emerging pest management challenges for cotton growers. PhytoGen Breeding Traits™ protect yield and fiber quality, all season long, with in-plant protection against challenging cotton diseases and nematode pests. Further, PhytoGen^® brand varieties with the Enlist^® cotton trait provide more options for unrivaled productivity against tough to control and resistant weeds – and the trusted durability of PhytoGen brand varieties with WideStrike^® and WideStrike 3 Insect Protection helps cotton farmers protect their crops from potential yield-robbing pests.

With a 100% ownership position in PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC, Corteva will become the sole owner of the intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, proprietary germplasm and information, as well as know-how. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry – including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the Company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva became an independent public company on June 1, 2019 and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.

Follow Corteva on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Cautionary Statement About Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and may be identified by their use of words like "guidance", "plans," "expects," "will," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "projects," "estimates" or other words of similar meaning. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about Corteva's strategy for growth, product development, regulatory approval, market position, anticipated benefits of recent acquisitions, timing of anticipated benefits from restructuring actions, outcome of contingencies, such as litigation and environmental matters, expenditures, and financial results, as well as expected benefits from, the separation of Corteva from DowDuPont, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events which may not be accurate or realized. Forward-looking statements also involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Corteva's control. While the list of factors presented below is considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on Corteva's business, results of operations and financial condition. Some of the important factors that could cause Corteva's actual results to differ materially from those projected in any such forward-looking statements include: (i) failure to successfully develop and commercialize Corteva's pipeline; (ii) effect of competition and consolidation in Corteva's industry; (iii) failure to obtain or maintain the necessary regulatory approvals for some Corteva's products; (iv) failure to enforce Corteva's intellectual property rights or defend against intellectual property claims asserted by others; (v) effect of competition from manufacturers of generic products; (vi) impact of Corteva's dependence on third parties with respect to certain of its raw materials or licenses and commercialization; (vii) costs of complying with evolving regulatory requirements and the effect of actual or alleged violations of environmental laws or permit requirements; (viii) effect of the degree of public understanding and acceptance or perceived public acceptance of Corteva's biotechnology and other agricultural products; (ix) effect of changes in agricultural and related policies of governments and international organizations; (x) effect of industrial espionage and other disruptions to Corteva's supply chain, information technology or network systems; (xi) competitor's establishment of an intermediary platform for distribution of Corteva's products; (xii) effect of volatility in Corteva's input costs; (xiii) failure to raise capital through the capital markets or short-term borrowings on terms acceptable to Corteva; (xiv) failure of Corteva's customers to pay their debts to Corteva, including customer financing programs; (xv) failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the internal reorganizations taken by DowDuPont in connection with the spin-off of Corteva, including failure to benefit from significant cost synergies; (xvi) risks related to the indemnification obligations of legacy EID liabilities in connection with the separation of Corteva; (xvii) increases in pension and other post-employment benefit plan funding obligations; (xviii) effect of compliance with environmental laws and requirements and adverse judgments on litigation; (xix) risks related to Corteva's global operations; (xx) effect of climate change and unpredictable seasonal and weather factors; (xxi) effect of counterfeit products; (xxii) failure to effectively manage acquisitions, divestitures, alliances and other portfolio actions; (xxiii) risks related to non-cash charges from impairment of goodwill or intangibles assets; (xxiv) risks related to COVID-19; (xxv) risks related to oil and commodity markets; and (xxvi) other risks related to the Separation from DowDuPont. Additionally, there may be other risks and uncertainties that Corteva is unable to currently identify or that Corteva does not currently expect to have a material impact on its business.  Where, in any forward-looking statement, an expectation or belief as to future results or events is expressed, such expectation or belief is based on the current plans and expectations of Corteva's management and expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be achieved or accomplished. Corteva disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable law. A detailed discussion of some of the significant risks and uncertainties which may cause results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements or other estimates is included in the "Risk Factors" section of Corteva's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as modified by subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

^{™ ,®, ℠} Trademarks and service marks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners.

 

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corteva-agriscience-acquires-full-ownership-of-phytogen-seed-company-llc-joint-venture-301085432.html

SOURCE Corteva, Inc.

FAQ

What is Corteva's latest acquisition involving CTVA?

Corteva has acquired the remaining interest in PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC from J.G. Boswell Company.

How does the acquisition of PhytoGen Seed Company impact Corteva (CTVA)?

It allows Corteva to gain full control over its cottonseed portfolio, enhancing its commitment and ability to serve cotton customers.

What are the strategic benefits of Corteva's acquisition of PhytoGen?

The acquisition strengthens Corteva's position in the cotton market and expands its global operations.

When was the acquisition of PhytoGen Seed Company announced?

The acquisition was announced on June 30, 2020.

What percentage of PhytoGen did Corteva own prior to the acquisition?

Corteva owned 53.5% of PhytoGen Seed Company before acquiring the remaining interest.