Syngenta Shares Results Following Year of Market Volatility

Syngenta Group has announced its full-year and fourth quarter results for 2025, showing mixed performance in a year marked by significant market volatility. 

Full year sales for 2025 were up 2% – excluding the impact of Syngenta Group’s strategic reduction in lower-margin grain trading sales – while full year EBITDA rose 13% to US$4.4bn. 

In Q4, the company's EBITDA was down 16% compared to 2024, due to a strategic restructuring of its Modern Agriculture Platform (MAP), higher customer credit provisions in Brazil and a stronger than anticipated Q4 performance in 2024. 

 Jeff Rowe, CEO of Syngenta Group, commented on the results on LinkedIn, saying: “I want to thank every member of the Syngenta Group team for their exceptional commitment and execution throughout 2025. 

In a year marked by significant market volatility, you rose to the occasion – delivering for our customers, hitting our targets and executing with the discipline that defines our organisation.

Looking ahead with confidence and gratitude for this outstanding team.”

Volatility in the agricultural industry

According to Syngenta Group, 2025 sales were impacted by adverse weather conditions – with Latin America facing challenges from drought conditions – and the reduction of channel inventories in crop protection across multiple markets. 

Price pressure in the company’s crop protection portfolio and lower grower profitability also impacted product demand, while wider group sales were adversely affected by weaker emerging market currencies. 

Jeff described this period of market volatility as "particularly painful,” in an interview with Investment Reports, saying that the rapid rise in prices COVID-19 and the Ukraine war created “all-time highs from 2020 to 2022,” with the market now facing “the sharpest correction in decades.”

He shared that “The speed and magnitude of these changes have intensified financial pressures,” while the financial struggles of farmers are “inevitably” impacting the wider industry. 

On a regional level, North American sales saw 10% growth, while crop protection sales rose by 5% in Europe and Asia, Middle East and Africa (excluding China). These increases in profitability, says the company, demonstrate an improved product mix and lower production costs.  

New additions to the C-suite

Alongside the announcement of its financial results, Syngenta Group shared that Hengde Qin will take on the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, where he will be responsible for group strategy execution and oversee corporate functions, with the goal to drive organisational alignment and efficiency. 

Hengde initially joined Syngenta Group in 2020 as President, before working as the company’s Chief Human Resources Officer and, most recently, its Chief Financial Officer. 

Sharing the news on LinkedIn, Hengde said: “I’m honored to take on the role of Chief Operating Officer at Syngenta Group, focusing on delivering organisational excellence and AI-driven business transformations. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our incredible Finance & Strategy team for their support over the past few years.”

Replacing Hengde as Group Chief Financial Officer is Nelson Jiang, who holds more than 30 years of financial leadership experience. His most recent positions include serving as Chairman and CEO of Sinochem Capital and CEO of China Junmao Holding Group.