UK: Syngenta agrees to sell its malting barley seeds business

European seed-breeding firm RAGT is set to significantly expand its malting barley breeding footprint after reaching an agreement to acquire Syngenta’s 2-row spring and winter malting barley seeds business, Farming UK reported on November 25.

The deal, announced jointly by both companies, will see RAGT take over Syngenta’s specialist malting barley operations, subject to standard approvals and employee consultation procedures.

The acquisition includes Syngenta’s Market Stainton site in Lincolnshire — a long-established centre of excellence for malting barley breeding — along with specific intellectual property, registrations and related assets.

The facility has been a major breeding hub since the late 1970s, carrying out year-round crossing of spring and winter 2-row barley, extensive field screening, seed multiplication and thousands of micromalt quality tests each year.

It plays a crucial role in developing new barley varieties for the UK and European brewing and distilling markets. Around 10 Syngenta employees dedicated to the malting barley programme will transfer to RAGT as part of the agreement.

RAGT already has a strong presence in the European barley market, and the addition of Syngenta’s portfolio will further strengthen its pipeline of spring and winter malting varieties.

The company said the deal would allow it to offer a broader and more competitive range of genetics to farmers, maltsters, brewers and distillers across multiple countries.

Damien Robert, managing director of RAGT Semences, said the acquisition marks “an important milestone in advancing our growth strategy,” aligned with the company’s RAGT 2030 vision.

He said it “strengthens our position in key European markets” and creates “clear synergies within our existing portfolio,” with significant potential to accelerate technologies that will benefit growers across Europe.

Syngenta said the sale allows its malting barley genetics to continue developing under an organisation well known for its cereal breeding strengths.

Robert Hiles, seeds field crops marketing head at Syngenta Europe, said the deal would “leverage the leading germplasm and growth potential of Syngenta’s malting barley business,” adding that RAGT “offers excellent prospects” for the team and the wider supply chain. He expressed confidence in a smooth transition and continued high-quality service.

The malting barley sector is a cornerstone of the UK and European brewing and distilling industries, supplying malt for beer, whisky and spirits markets worth billions of pounds each year. Both companies say the agreement will help support long-term crop development in a competitive and rapidly evolving market.

RAGT and Syngenta will work together in the coming months to ensure an orderly handover and maintain strong customer support. Both organisations say the acquisition lays the groundwork for a more robust and innovative breeding pipeline serving growers and the malting supply chain well beyond 2025.

Completion of the agreement is expected by 30 December 2025. Financial details have not been disclosed.