FORM
6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report
of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of October 2008
Commission
File Number: 001-15152
SYNGENTA
AG
(Translation
of registrant’s name into English)
Schwarzwaldallee
215
4058
Basel
Switzerland
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
|
Form
20-F
|
X
|
Form
40-F
|
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
|
Yes
|
No
|
X
|
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
|
Yes
|
No
|
X
|
Indicate
by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the
Registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
|
Yes
|
No
|
X
|
If “Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): N/A
Re:
SYNGENTA AG
Press
Release: "Third Quarter 2008
sales: strong growth in all regions”
Filed
herewith is a press release related to Syngenta AG. The full text of the press
release follows:
# #
#
|
Syngenta International AG
Media
Office
CH-4002 Basel
Switzerland
Tel:+41 61 323
23 23
Fax:+41 61 323
24 24
www.syngenta.com
|
Médard
Schoenmaeckers
Switzerland +41
61 323 2323
Anne
Burt
USA+1 202 628
2372
|
Jennifer
Gough
Switzerland +41
61 323 5059
USA+1 202 737
6521
John
Hudson
Switzerland +41
61 323 6793
USA+1 202 737
6520
|
Third
Quarter 2008 sales: strong growth in all regions
Sales in the third
quarter of 2008 increased by 28 percent at constant exchange rates (CER).
Reported sales were 33 percent higher at $2.3 billion. In the first nine months
of the year sales were up 22 percent (CER) to $9.6 billion.
In Crop Protection
third quarter sales were 26 percent higher (CER), with volume growth of 12
percent and price realization, including glyphosate, ahead of target at 14
percent. In NAFTA, the growth rate increased significantly driven by the
expansion of the corn fungicide market and strong herbicide demand. In Latin
America there was a good start to the season with a further acreage increase and
ongoing investment in both soybean and corn. Europe saw sustained growth in
herbicides and seed care; sales in Eastern Europe were almost 50 percent higher
reflecting the drive to increase productivity. Asia Pacific saw growth across
the emerging markets and improved trading in Australia.
Growth by product
line was broad-based. The most notable performances were from non-selective
herbicides, led by price gains in TOUCHDOWN®;
fungicides, with strong demand for AMISTAR® in the
USA and Brazil; and seed care, where technology adoption continues in both
developed and emerging markets, led by CRUISER®.
Combined sales of new products, defined as those launched since 2006, reached
$242 million in the first nine months (+87 percent). The largest contribution
came from the cereal herbicide AXIAL®, with
good progress also in REVUS® and the
successful launch of DURIVO®.
Seeds sales
increased by 41 percent (CER) in the quarter. Sales of corn and soybean more
than doubled, with lower returns in the USA and excellent growth in Brazil,
where both crops benefited from expanding demand and an enhanced offer.
All
regions showed strong growth in vegetables with emerging markets, notably Asia,
playing an increasingly important role.
Mike Mack, CEO,
said: “The sales figures we have presented today attest to the strength of our
business in a turbulent global environment. The fundamental drivers for
agriculture remain unchanged, with rising food and feed demand inevitably
requiring increased use of agricultural technology in a context of limited land
availability. Our confidence in Syngenta’s near term as well as its longer term
performance allows us to reaffirm our target for earnings per share* growth of
more than 35 percent in 2008 and high teens in 2009.”
*
Fully diluted, excluding 2007 non-recurring income, restructuring, impairment
and share repurchase program.
Syngenta is a
world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through
innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection,
and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in
2007 were approximately $9.2 billion. Syngenta employs over 21,000 people in
more than 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange
(SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at
www.syngenta.com.
Safe Harbor: This document
contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such
as ‘expect’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘potential’, ‘plans’, ‘prospects’, ‘estimated’,
‘aiming’, ‘on track’ and similar expressions. Such statements may be
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ
materially from these statements. We refer you to Syngenta's publicly
available filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for
information about these and other risks and uncertainties. Syngenta assumes no
obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results,
changed assumptions or other factors. This document does not
constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any
solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any ordinary shares in
Syngenta AG, or Syngenta ADSs, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on
in connection with, any contract therefore.
Unaudited Nine months Product Line
and Regional Sales
|
Syngenta
|
9
months 2008
$m
|
9
months 2007
$m
|
Actual
%
|
CER(1)
%
|
||||
|
Crop
Protection
|
7429
|
5739
|
+
29
|
+
22
|
||||
|
Seeds
|
2156
|
1701
|
+
27
|
+
20
|
||||
|
Business
Development
|
22
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
||||
|
Inter-segment
elimination(2)
|
(35)
|
(44)
|
-
|
-
|
||||
|
Third Party
Sales
|
9572
|
7399
|
+
29
|
+
22
|
||||
|
Crop
Protection
|
||||||||
|
Product
line
|
||||||||
|
Selective
Herbicides
|
2063
|
1709
|
+
21
|
+
13
|
||||
|
Non-selective
Herbicides
|
1101
|
711
|
+
55
|
+
48
|
||||
|
Fungicides
|
2103
|
1556
|
+
35
|
+
26
|
||||
|
Insecticides
|
1089
|
936
|
+
16
|
+
12
|
||||
|
Seed Care(3)
|
622
|
452
|
+
38
|
+
30
|
||||
|
Professional
Products
|
387
|
348
|
+
11
|
+
7
|
||||
|
Others
|
64
|
27
|
+
138
|
+
132
|
||||
|
Total
|
7429
|
5739
|
+
29
|
+
22
|
||||
|
Regional
|
||||||||
|
Europe, Africa
and Middle East
|
2813
|
2123
|
+
33
|
+
18
|
||||
|
NAFTA
|
2355
|
1935
|
+
22
|
+
19
|
||||
|
Latin
America
|
1213
|
861
|
+
41
|
+
41
|
||||
|
Asia
Pacific
|
1048
|
820
|
+
28
|
+
22
|
||||
|
Total
|
7429
|
5739
|
+
29
|
+
22
|
||||
|
Seeds
|
||||||||
|
Product
line
|
||||||||
|
Corn and
Soybean
|
958
|
795
|
+
21
|
+
17
|
||||
|
Diverse Field
Crops
|
420
|
298
|
+
41
|
+
28
|
||||
|
Vegetables and
Flowers
|
778
|
608
|
+
28
|
+
20
|
||||
|
Total
|
2156
|
1701
|
+
27
|
+
20
|
||||
|
Regional
|
||||||||
|
Europe, Africa
and Middle East
|
984
|
706
|
+
39
|
+
24
|
||||
|
NAFTA
|
872
|
785
|
+
11
|
+
10
|
||||
|
Latin
America
|
173
|
112
|
+
55
|
+
55
|
||||
|
Asia
Pacific
|
127
|
98
|
+
29
|
+
24
|
||||
|
Total
|
2156
|
1701
|
+
27
|
+
20
|
||||
|
(1)
|
Growth
at constant exchange rates.
|
|
(2)
|
Crop
Protection inter-segment sales to
Seeds.
|
|
(3)
|
Seed
Care previously grouped within Professional
Products.
|
Unaudited
Third Quarter Product Line and Regional Sales
|
Syngenta
|
3rd
Quarter 2008
$m
|
3rd
Quarter 2007
$m
|
Actual
%
|
CER(1)
%
|
||||
|
Crop
Protection
|
1875
|
1436
|
+
31
|
+
26
|
||||
|
Seeds
|
417
|
283
|
+
47
|
+
41
|
||||
|
Business
Development
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
||||
|
Inter-segment
elimination(2)
|
(17)
|
(11)
|
-
|
-
|
||||
|
Third Party
Sales
|
2277
|
1709
|
+
33
|
+
28
|
||||
|
Crop
Protection
|
||||||||
|
Product
line
|
||||||||
|
Selective
Herbicides
|
384
|
286
|
+
34
|
+
27
|
||||
|
Non-selective
Herbicides
|
362
|
250
|
+
45
|
+
41
|
||||
|
Fungicides
|
454
|
373
|
+
22
|
+
19
|
||||
|
Insecticides
|
310
|
272
|
+
14
|
+
13
|
||||
|
Seed Care(3)
|
234
|
153
|
+
53
|
+
45
|
||||
|
Professional
Products
|
98
|
93
|
+
5
|
+
1
|
||||
|
Others
|
33
|
9
|
+
268
|
+
257
|
||||
|
Total
|
1875
|
1436
|
+
31
|
+
26
|
||||
|
Regional
|
||||||||
|
Europe, Africa
and Middle East
|
563
|
452
|
+
25
|
+
12
|
||||
|
NAFTA
|
505
|
339
|
+
49
|
+
48
|
||||
|
Latin
America
|
515
|
412
|
+
25
|
+
25
|
||||
|
Asia
Pacific
|
292
|
233
|
+
25
|
+
25
|
||||
|
Total
|
1875
|
1436
|
+
31
|
+
26
|
||||
|
Seeds
|
||||||||
|
Product
line
|
||||||||
|
Corn and
Soybean
|
144
|
63
|
+
131
|
+
129
|
||||
|
Diverse Field
Crops
|
67
|
44
|
+
50
|
+
35
|
||||
|
Vegetables and
Flowers
|
206
|
176
|
+
17
|
+
11
|
||||
|
Total
|
417
|
283
|
+
47
|
+
41
|
||||
|
Regional
|
||||||||
|
Europe, Africa
and Middle East
|
173
|
129
|
+
34
|
+
20
|
||||
|
NAFTA
|
99
|
63
|
+
58
|
+
58
|
||||
|
Latin
America
|
107
|
63
|
+
70
|
+
70
|
||||
|
Asia
Pacific
|
38
|
28
|
+
33
|
+
34
|
||||
|
Total
|
417
|
283
|
+
47
|
+
41
|
||||
|
(1)
|
Growth
at constant exchange rates.
|
|
(2)
|
Crop
Protection inter-segment sales to
Seeds.
|
|
(3)
|
Seed
Care previously grouped within Professional
Products.
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
|
SYNGENTA AG
|
||||||
|
Date:
|
October
23, 2008
|
By:
|
/s/ Christoph Mäder | |||
|
Name:
|
Christoph
Mäder
|
|||||
|
Title:
|
Head
Legal & Taxes
|
|||||