Bayer to reorganize Crop Science vision in Germany, cut hundreds of jobs

Bayer (BAYRY) is reorganizing its Crop Science division’s activities in the areas of crop protection production and research and development in Germany. This step is necessary to ensure the division’s global competitiveness. Manufacturers of generic crop protection products, particularly from Asia, have built significant overcapacity over recent years and are pushing onto the market with persistently low prices, some of which are below the manufacturing costs of crop protection products in Europe. This is exacerbated by increasing regulatory restrictions and national export barriers. In the future, the focus will therefore be even more on strategic, innovative technologies and products that offer growers differentiated value not matched by generics. As a result of the changes, Bayer will discontinue its activities in Frankfurt am Main after the end of 2028. The company aims to sell parts of the activities, while others will be relocated. Production at the Dormagen site will be streamlined to ensure its competitiveness for the future. “We are committed to Germany. However, to live up to this commitment in times of considerable challenges, we need to adjust,” said Frank Terhorst, Head of Strategy and Sustainability of the Crop Science division. At its Frankfurt site, Bayer runs production operations for herbicide active ingredients and formulations, as well as research and development activities for herbicides, employing around 500 people there. However, not all jobs will be lost: Divestment opportunities are being explored for some production activities, while other production activities will be moved to the sites in Dormagen and Knapsack, or integrated into the European formulation network. Research and development activities will be optimized from a cost perspective, and all essential activities will be relocated to the main site in Monheim am Rhein where research and development for insecticides and, to some extent, for fungicides is already located. The Dormagen site will remain Bayer’s production facility with the largest portfolio of active ingredients and crop protection products and will be streamlined to ensure its competitiveness for the future. These changes will be implemented gradually by the end of 2028. Based on current planning they will impact approximately 200 positions in active ingredient production and formulation, of the nearly 1,200 employees at the site.