Syngenta Group closed 2025 with a series of meaningful strategic moves, leadership changes, and product innovations that signal the direction the agricultural giant is heading as it navigates a complex global landscape.
Leadership changes
In a notable executive shift, Syngenta Group appointed Nelson Jiang as Group Chief Financial Officer, effective March 1, 2026. Jiang brings over three decades of financial leadership experience, most recently serving as Chairman and CEO of Sinochem Capital Ltd. and CFO of China Jinmao Holding Group Ltd. He will be based in Basel. Alongside this appointment, Hengde Qin moves into a newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, where he will oversee group strategy execution and corporate functions.
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Betting big on AI
Syngenta doubled down on artificial intelligence in 2025, prioritizing high-impact "lighthouse" projects designed to generate real business value. The company is positioning itself as a leading player in AI for agricultural inputs, with its disciplined approach already delivering measurable results and establishing scalable blueprints for broader transformation across the organization.
In the Seeds division, Syngenta partnered with Heritable Agriculture to apply AI in predicting top-performing vegetable varieties by region — a practical application of the technology that could meaningfully accelerate breeding programs.
Biologicals on the rise
The biologicals business maintained strong momentum throughout 2025, with double-digit sales growth driven by rising demand for biocontrols, biostimulants, and nutrient efficiency products. A newly operational production facility in Orangeburg, South Carolina, adds to Syngenta's existing biologicals manufacturing network in Brazil, Italy, India, and Norway — reinforcing the company's commitment to scaling this growing segment.
Crop protection innovation
Syngenta registered 1,800 new crop protection products globally in 2025, reinforcing its steady focus on innovation. A key milestone was the approval of Plinazolin technology by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for use across five insecticide products. This followed 12 years of research and more than 3,000 field trials conducted across the United States, highlighting the scale and rigor behind its development.
At the same time, Tymirium technology secured registrations in Canada, Australia, the United States, and Brazil, targeting both nematode infestations and fungal diseases. The company also introduced Altessia, a herbicide designed specifically for rice cultivation, in India, expanding its offering in a key agricultural market.
Alongside its product pipeline, Syngenta completed a major transition to SAP S/4HANA, a next-generation enterprise system developed by SAP. The move is intended to strengthen the company's ability to use data analytics to better understand customer needs and improve decision-making across its global operations.
Seeds: New traits and global expansion
Syngenta's Seeds division saw several landmark developments in 2025. In North America, the company introduced Durastak trait technology — the industry's first triple Bt protein stack offering three modes of action for corn rootworm control. In collaboration with M.S. Technologies, Syngenta also announced Enlist E3 Expance, a next-generation soybean trait stack offering farmers tolerance to more active ingredients than any currently available stack.
In Europe, preparations were finalized for the commercial launch of hybrid wheat in 2026, while adoption of the Hyvido Neo trait continued to accelerate among hybrid barley farmers. In Brazil, the company gained market share in key corn markets and launched two new corn hybrids and six new soybean varieties.
On the infrastructure side, Syngenta opened a state-of-the-art Seed Health Lab in the Netherlands and invested in a centralized nursery facility in Guatemala to accelerate innovation in fruity crops.
China and structural changes
Syngenta Group China underwent notable structural changes. The company spun off Sinofert Holdings effective December 31, 2025, meaning the fertilizer business will no longer form part of the consolidated group from January 2026 onward. A new crop protection formulation plant in Nantong was inaugurated in January 2026, while the Seeds business secured 122 new national variety approvals in China during the year.
Adama's transformation continues
Adama, Syngenta's post-patent crop protection arm, pressed ahead with its strategic transformation, introducing new formulations across several markets. These included Cazado in Canada for wild oat control in wheat, and Temper More in the United States — a dual-action herbicide developed using Adama's proprietary Sesgama formulation technology. In Europe, Feralla was approved as a low-risk active substance, and Gilboa was recognized for introducing a new mode of action in cereals.
More information, including the company's financial results, can be found at the link here.
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