September 15, 2006

Bayer CropScience plans layoffs in two US states

Bayer CropScience is laying off staff at its US headquarters in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina and its two Kansas City sites, a spokesman said Thursday (Sep 14).

The move is part of a previously announced plan to cut 1,500 jobs by 2009, Greg Coffey, a company spokesman, said.

Bayer AG two weeks ago announced a restructuring for its CropScience unit to save about US$380 million a year through closing and restructuring production sites and cutting personnel.

CropScience employs about 3,100 people in North America.

About 450 marketing, management and research employees work in Research Triangle Park and about 700 work at a research and development site in Stilwell, Kansas, and a manufacturing and R&D site in Kansas City, Mo.

The facilities would still remain key sites for the company's North American business despite reductions, Greg Coffey said.

Bayer said last month it is expects lower earnings for its CropScience division this year as drought conditions prevailed in most producing countries, along with difficulties it faced in its Brazilian operations.

The division's herbicides, insecticides and fungicides make up a quarter of the company's sales.