In recent months, the subject of a possible separation of Bayer's CropScience agro-division has become more and more actively discussed. The company's CEO, Bill Anderson, confirmed the news last week during an earnings call.

"The main options we are looking at include spinning off either the Consumer Health division or the CropScience division. They remain under evaluation,” Anderson said. During the call, he ruled out the possibility of the company being split into three businesses.

Disappointed with the overall performance of the company during the year, Anderson also announced the intentions for the near future: “this is not stinginess, this is a completely new way of working, from static command and control to a system where everything is focused on the needs of the customer. By the end of 2024, Bayer will eliminate multiple levels of management and coordination. This will involve a significant reduction in the workforce, he explained.

Anderson concluded the report with an emphasis on strengthening performance and the desire to create sustainable products to drive the company forward. "It's about delivering the best version of this company with the most speed, the least risk and the best return." That is what we are focused on in the coming weeks and months.”

Shares of Bayer AG and Bayer CropScience Ltd fell immediately after news of the potential split, but recovered slightly in the following days. Bayer AG is the umbrella organization of three divisions – Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Consumer Health and Bayer CropScience. Bayer CropScience covers the company's seeds and crop protection.

Besides Bayer, Corteva and Syngenta also reported lower overall sales for their third quarter, with higher seed sales and losses in crop protection products.

Corteva released its third quarter 2023 results on November 8 and reported a loss of $315 million. Year-to-date 2023 net sales and organic sales were down 1% year-over-year, with gains in North America and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) offset by declines in Latin America and Asia Pacific.

Syngenta also reported lower overall sales for the third quarter. "Seed sales increased 3% in the first nine months to $3.3 billion, driven by stable pricing," the company said. Compared to the first nine months of 2022, crop protection sales fell from $12.6 billion to $11.5 billion in 2023.

A negative trend is also observed in the reports of the other German giant – BASF, but in them the confidence of the European consumer managed to compensate to some extent the negatives resulting from currency effects in Asia and North America.

In the region of South America, Africa and the Middle East, the company's sales decreased significantly. This was mainly due to the delayed start of the season and correspondingly lower volumes, especially in Brazil, as well as negative currency effects, especially in relation to the Argentine peso.