Bayer, Monsanto deal on track for U.S. approval by end-May -sources

WASHINGTON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German drug and crop chemical maker Bayer AG's bid to buy seed and chemical company Monsanto Co is on track to win U.S. antitrust approval by the end of May, unless there is a last-minute complication, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The transaction, if it closes as seems likely, will create a company commanding more than a quarter of the combined world market for seeds and pesticides in the fast-consolidating farm supplies industry.

Bayer declined to comment.

The U.S. Justice Department said in March it was pressing on with its antitrust review of the deal.

The merger has already cleared key hurdles. Russia's antitrust regulator FAS approved it last week and the European Commission last month gave conditional clearance, following a conditional nod in Brazil.

Also last week, the German group raised 3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) by selling new shares to Singapore's state investment company, with further moves expected to increase its capital.

Bayer previously said it would only launch a cash call once it had sufficient clarity that the deal, signed in September 2016, would get the go-ahead.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Alexandra Hudson)