Crystal Crop Protection acquires I&B Seeds

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Agri input maker Crystal Crop Protection has acquired the Bengaluru-based I&B Seeds, a flower and vegetable seeds company, for an undisclosed sum. This is Crystal Crop’s 12th acquisition so far and the fifth in the seeds business. The latest buyout will help Crystal Crop diversify and foray into the high-value flower and vegetable seeds.

I&B Seeds is a major player in the marigold seeds segment with brands such as Indus and SPS.

In a statement, Ankur Aggarwal, Managing Director of Crystal Crop said, “This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in our growth strategy. At Crystal, we are deeply committed to the well-being of our farmers. By expanding into the vegetable and flower seed segments, we are not only diversifying our offerings but also enhancing our ability to provide farmers with high-quality seeds that can significantly increase their incomes. I&B Seed’s expertise in the flower and vegetable seeds market, combined with our strong portfolio in field crops, will allow us to better serve the agricultural community and contribute to sustainable farming practices across India.”

Diversifying offerings

Crystal’s current seeds portfolio has brands like Proagro, Sadanand, Surpass, Dairy Green across field crops like cotton, maize, pearl millet, mustard, fodder, wheat, berseem, and sorghum. With the addition of Indus and SPS brands, Crystal will further diversify its product offerings and expand its reach to more farmers. The new business is expected to boost Crystal’s seeds division, contributing to a 30 per cent increase in its topline growth, the company said in a statement.

Praveen Noojibail, Managing Director of I&B Seeds, stated, “This acquisition is a great opportunity for Crystal seeds to combine I&B Seed’s legacy in flower and vegetable seeds with Crystal’s extensive resources and distribution network. The size and strength of Crystal will help accelerate reach of innovative and high-quality seeds to farmers across India and beyond, ensuring better yields and profitability.”

George Ball, Chairman, W Atlee Burpee Company and Partner in I&B Seeds, said that it will be a great opportunity for I&B Seed’s R&D to reach farmers at a larger level and help them produce better crops.

Crystal Crop’s previous acquisitions include the Sadanand cotton seed portfolio from Kohinoor Seeds in 2023 and the cotton, pearl millet, mustard, and sorghum portfolio from Bayer in 2021. Between 2018 and 2022, Crystal acquired several agrochemical and seeds brands from major multinational companies such as Syngenta, FMC, and Dow-Corteva, among others.