BERLIN, July 10 (Reuters) - BASF plans to shut down two sites in Germany that are part of its production network for the glufosinate-ammonium weed killer, the German chemicals group said on Wednesday.

BASF plans to cease production of the active ingredient glufosinate-ammonium (GA) at the Knapsack and Frankfurt sites in Germany by the end of 2024 due to economic reasons, it said in a statement. The GA formulation in Frankfurt will end in 2025.

"Subsequently, both production facilities will be shut down. Glufosinate-ammonium remains a key component of BASF's global herbicide portfolio," it added.

BASF acquired the product from Bayer in 2017 as part of a larger deal to buy seed and herbicide businesses from the company for 5.9 billion euros ($6.39 billion).

At the time, Bayer was trying to persuade competition authorities to approve its acquisition of Monsanto.

The around 300 jobs at the facilities will be retained until the end of 2025 and then be gradually reduced, BASF said in a statement.

($1 = 0.9239 euros) (Reporting by Rachel More and Chiara Holzhaeuser, editing by Kirsti Knolle)