Dow CEO expresses interest in acquiring Syngenta's seed business

Dow CEO Andrew Liveris said last week that the company would be interested in buying Syngenta's seed business if Monsanto were to acquire Syngenta in a hostile takeover. 

Syngenta rejected a recent takeover bid by Monsanto, saying it was not in the best interest for the company, its shareholders or other stakeholders. 

Following Syngenta's rejection of a deal, Brett Begemann, Monsanto's president and CEO, downplayed rumors of a hostile takeover during an interview with Reuters last week. He said first the company wants to find out more about Syngenta's research capabilities and sales numbers before deciding on how to proceed.

Should Monsanto ultimately succeed in taking over Syngenta, Liveris said Dow would be interested in discussing a possible deal for the seed business.

"If there is a round of consolidation that makes sense for our investors, we will be at the table," Liveris told a reporter for Bloomberg Business.