One of the largest mergers in seed and crop protection history topped the talk at Husker Harvest Days. After several months of courting, Bayer and Monsanto signed a $ 66 Billion agreement Wednesday to merge two of the largest seed and chemical suppliers. The deal includes a share price of $ 128 per share and is the third such proposed merger in the seed and herbicide business in the last year. Some farmers and farm group leaders like Ken Boswell, Nebraska Soybean Association President say they have concerns with the deal and the monopoly it may create and the potential impact on input costs. As a result, there is agreement that regulators need to closely scrutinize the acquisition.

However, he says if the deal is approved, farmers say it provides the opportunity for new innovation and new chemistry to combat resistant weeds.

And to be able to afford those innovations the companies must be profitable which is what’s driving all the pending mergers. The merger still must be approved by Monsanto shareholders and regulators and that may push the completion of the deal well into 2017. Company leaders say the two companies will continue operating separately for now.