Oxnard, California
April 25, 2002

Seminis Inc. (Nasdaq: SMNS), the world's leading developer, producer and marketer of vegetable and fruit seeds, today reported preliminary results for the three-month period ended March 29, 2002. The early announcement precedes filings by its parent company Savia, which is required to release consolidated results, including those of Seminis, later today.

NET SALES AND GROSS MARGIN

Net sales for the second quarter were $152.3 million compared to $151.5 million for the same quarter last year. Excluding divested non-core business sales of $4.9 million and $0.8 million from the second quarter of fiscal year 2001 and fiscal year 2002, respectively, and excluding a $3.2 million negative currency impact against the U.S. dollar, sales for the second quarter FY 2002 increased 5.5% to $154.7 million from $146.6 million during the same period last year. Gross profit increased to $95.9 million or 62.9% of sales compared to $92.2 million or 60.8% for the same quarter last year.

OPERATING EXPENSES

Operating expenses in the reported quarter were reduced by $8.4 million to $58.4 million, compared to $66.8 million for the same quarter last year, a reduction of 12.6%

OPERATING INCOME

Operating income in the reported quarter was $37.5 million compared to $25.4 million for the same quarter last year, an improvement 47.6%.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter was $47.1 million compared to $43.7 million for the same quarter last year.

NET INCOME

Net income for the company was $25.7 million compared to $4.9 million during the same quarter last year. Net income available for common stockholders was $21.0 million or $0.34 per share compared to $0.2 million or negligible earnings per share during the same quarter last year.

Seminis will provide expanded results and comments on its quarterly performance at a later date. The company does not anticipate any material changes at this time.

Seminis is the largest developer, producer and marketer of vegetable seeds in the world. The company uses seeds as the delivery vehicle for innovative agricultural technology. Its products are designed to reduce the need for agricultural chemicals, increase crop yield, reduce spoilage, offer longer shelf life, and create better tasting foods and foods with better nutritional content. Seminis has established a worldwide presence and global distribution network that spans 120 countries. Seminis is a majority owned subsidiary of Savia (NYSE: VAI), a Mexico-based leading conglomerate.