P.O. Box 948153
Maitland, FL 32794
www.ffva.com

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Ray Gilmer, Director of Public Affairs, FFVA
(321) 214-5200/Ray.Gilmer@ffva.com
Tim Chelling, VP Communications, WG
(949) 885-2256 / TChelling@wga.com

WESTERN GROWERS AND FLORIDA FRUIT & VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Associations Enter Into Memorandum of
Understanding to Increase Cooperation and Share Services

IRVINE, CA & MAITLAND, FL (September 28, 2005) - Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) and Western Growers (WG) today announced that these two leading fruit and vegetable industry trade associations have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that will increase cooperation, collaboration and the sharing of some member services between their organizations.

"Western Growers is proud that this strategic partnership with Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association will lead to greater access to important shared member services," said Tom Nassif President and CEO of Western Growers. "It strengthens an already outstanding relationship between our two associations that have some shared membership.

"Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association is equally excited about this partnership. We see this as a way to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of both WG and FFVA and to further enhance member value in each association," said Mike Stuart, President and CEO of Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association. "We think this makes great sense as it combines east and west coast grower/packer/shipper perspectives that we think will make us both stronger in the short and long term."

"There are several areas where WG and FFVA can immediately cooperate and share services. For example, FFVA has a well established H2A certification and consultation service that WG members can use now with the expected passage of comprehensive immigration reform," said Nassif. "Other areas for closer collaboration and coordination exist in the federal government relations and political action areas."

"Similarly, Western Growers has a well experienced Trade Practices service that FFVA members can participate in immediately," said Stuart, "and there are many other member services in which both organizations can further cooperate such as science and technology, communications and food safety."

Both organizations will maintain their own governance and financial structures but the volunteer and staff leadership of both organizations will attend each other's annual meetings and periodically meet to discuss common issues and goals.

"We look forward to more closely working together to better serve our collective membership and the fresh produce industry," Nassif and Stuart concluded.

(Western Growers is an agriculture trade association whose members grow, pack and ship ninety percent of the fresh fruits and vegetables, and nuts grown in California and Arizona, about one-half of the country's fresh produce. Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association is an agricultural trade organization whose members lead the nation in the production of citrus, fresh market tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, snap beans, cucumbers, squash, and tropical fruit.)

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