Syngenta Buys Italian Durum Wheat Seed Company

Apr 08, 2014

Syngenta recently announced that it had acquired Societa Produttori Sementi (PSB).

The Italian-based company is one of the country’s most established seed firms and produces durum wheat often used for pasta making.

Wheat for PSB’s pasta is grown on more than 330,000 hectors in Italy. The company also grows crops at its headquarters in Argelato, which is home to a 430-hector farm.

Syngenta says that it will retain the PSB brand.

“Together we will accelerate innovation in high-quality durum wheat production, helping more growers prosper in the competitive Italian market as well as supporting international expansion,” John Atkin Syngenta’s Chief Operating Officer said in a release.

The move expands Syngenta’s global presence, as it employs 28,000 workers in over 90 countries worldwide. The acquisition also supports Syngenta’s “The Good Growth Plan.” More information about its pledge can be found here.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The global market value for pasta is estimated at $16 billion.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.