Rice is critical to global food security and Syngenta's strategy has been to accelerate investement in rice breeding to increase yields. Devgen has premium rice hybrids which will bring immediate benefits to growers when brought together with Syngenta's crop protection portfolio.

In the letter dated December 12, 2013 sent to the BioSpectrum, Dr K C Ravi, vice president, Commercial Acceptance and Public Policy, South Asia, mentioned, "The complementarity between Syngenta's global technology platforms with Devgen's expertise in beerding, R&D and production will broaden the rice pipelines as well as further enable the development of integrated solutions for the benefit of the farming communities.

Devgen's crop portfolios in sunflower, sorghum, pearl millet and cotton will also offer new options for growers in Southy Asia. Devgen's research in RNAi technologies will help Syngenta expand offerings in insect control solutions in a range of crops. Furthermore, nematode control is an increasing problem for growers in rice and Devgen''s nematicide is expected to ahelp in addressing the critical problem for rice growers.

"The acquisition is the biggest in Syngenta's history and is exciting for both companies. It will offer everyone increased opportunities for personal and professional growth through working with new colleagues, sharing knowledge and learning insights. And most importantly it will help to address the problems of numerous growers accross India and South Asia," concludes the letter.