Croda Buys Dutch Seed Treatment Firm

U.K. specialty chemical company Croda International has acquired Incotec, a Dutch seed enhancement firm, for $164 million. Incotec develops technology for disinfecting, coating, or otherwise enhancing vegetable and field plant seeds to increase crop yields. Croda says it will invest in Incotec while retaining the firm’s brand. The seed enhancement market is a “fast-growing sector,” says Croda CEO Steve Foots. Croda already makes products for crop protection such as surfactants and pesticide adjuvants.