ChemChina

Israeli company Adama has completed the acquisition of Greek firm Alfa Agricultural Supplies SA. Adama bought out the remaining 51% stake in Alfa for an undisclosed amount, taking its holding in the local company to 100%. This practically means Alfa has passed into the hands of the Chinese company that controls the Israeli enterprise.

The European Commission has launched an “in-depth” investigation into the proposed merger of global agriculture giants Monsanto and Bayer, amid concerns that it may create too high a concentration and disrupt competition in the areas of pesticides and seeds.

China made its boldest overseas takeover move when state-owned ChemChina agreed a $43 billion bid for Swiss seeds and pesticides group Syngenta on Feb. 3, aiming to improve domestic food production.

Chinese overseas direct investment (ODI) rose to nearly $120 billion last year, official data showed on Jan. 20, as the world's second-largest economy sought to acquire foreign technologies, expand markets and diversify energy supply.

ODI leapt 14.7 percent from a year earlier to $118.0 billion in 2015, just ahead of the previous year's expansion, according to the commerce ministry.