Modesto, California
October 17, 2002

Harris Moran Seed Company, part of the largest independently held seed company in the world,
announces four new additions to its worldwide sales team.

David Drews comes to Harris Moran as western regional sales manager. A graduate of Texas A & M
with a Master's Degree in Horticultural Science, Drews has 18 years experience in sales, product
development, and marketing in the south central U.S. and northeast Mexico. He will be based in
McAllen, Texas.

On the other side of the country, Greg Davis joins Harris Moran as sales representative in the south,
covering north Florida, south Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. A graduate of the
University of Florida, Davis grew up on a family farm in north Florida, and has been very active in
the southeastern agricultural industry. He will be based in the Gainesville area.

Joining Harris Moran's international sales corps is Amjad Elayan, new regional sales manager for
the Middle East. A graduate of the University of Jordan with a Master's Degree in Agricultural
Sciences, Elayan will be based in Amman, Jordan. His 10 years of experience includes three years in
horticultural production across the Middle East.

Further north in Europe, Frederic Savin, will serve as regional sales manager for Europe. Savin,
a graduate of the University of Paris with a Master's Degree in Genetics and Plant Breeding,
has worked in the seed industry for 15 years, most recently with Harris Moran's sister company
Vilmorin, where he was the director of marketing. He will be based in Les Ponts de Ce, near Angers,
France.

Matthew Johnston, Harris Moran's vice president of marketing and sales, said of the quartet: "David's
broad experience and knowledge in the southwest, Greg's background and success in the southern
U.S., Amjad's intimate grasp of the Middle East, and Frederic's experiences in Europe will
translate into our continued success in these four vastly different markets."

Harris Moran Seed Company is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a French cooperative owned, run, and
operated by French farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs,
and increase, freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-based company
breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.