Key Takeaways
- Financial Performance: Bayer Crop Science achieved sales of 21.622 billion euros in 2025, a 1.1% increase on a currency-adjusted basis.
- Corn Sector Growth: The Corn Seed & Traits business rose 13.2%, fueled by strong global performance and a licensing resolution with Corteva.
- Portfolio Challenges: Sales in Soybean and Cotton seeds declined significantly due to the vacatur of the dicamba-based label in the United States.
- Strategic Savings: Bayer is implementing a “Dynamic Shared Ownership” model, targeting 2 billion euros in organizational savings.
- Litigation Progress: The company recently announced a class settlement agreement to resolve current and future Roundup™ (glyphosate) claims.
Corn and Vegetable Seeds Bolster Bayer's Crop Science Portfolio
Bayer reported that its agricultural division, Crop Science, met its full-year 2025 targets despite a complex regulatory and market environment. Growth was primarily led by the Corn Seed & Traits segment, which saw double-digit gains across all global regions. This surge was supported by robust product performance and an increase in planted surface area.
Vegetable Seeds also contributed positively to the Bayer topline, with sales advancing 7.5% due to higher pricing and volumes. While herbicide sales remained stable—including glyphosate-based products—the division faced headwinds in fungicides and insecticides, the latter impacted by the expiration of the Movento™ registration in Europe.
Regulatory Headwinds Impact Soybean and Cotton Sales
Bayer experienced anticipated declines in its Soybean Seed & Traits (-7.7%) and Cotton Seed (-22.9%) sectors. These losses were directly attributed to the legal vacatur of the label for dicamba-based crop protection products in the U.S. market.
CEO Bill Anderson noted that while the division is progressing through a “profitability improvement program,” the work to achieve a comprehensive turnaround remains ongoing. EBITDA before special items for Crop Science decreased by 3.2% to 4.188 billion euros, affected by these regulatory shifts and higher expenses for strategic incentive programs.
Bayer Strategic Turnaround and Litigation Management
The company continues to execute a multi-pronged strategy to manage U.S. litigations. A significant milestone was reached last month with a class settlement agreement intended to resolve claims related to Roundup™.
“We have a clear picture of what needs to be done in every area,” Anderson stated during the Financial News Conference. Bayer is also transitioning to a “Dynamic Shared Ownership” operating model. This shift is designed to reduce hierarchy and is expected to realize 2 billion euros in cost savings across the Group.
Sustainability and Future Leadership at Bayer
Bayer reported progress in its social sustainability efforts, supporting 53 million smallholder farmers with products and services in 2025. The company aims to reach 100 million smallholders by 2030. Additionally, over half of the electricity purchased by the company now comes from renewable sources.
To strengthen its agricultural expertise at the governance level, Bayer has proposed Marcel Smits—former Chairman and CEO of Asia Pacific at Cargill—for election to the Supervisory Board at the upcoming Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on April 24, 2026.
Read the complete financial results.
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