The destruction of crops by hurricanes Mitch and Georges in Central America has prompted Novartis to donate vegetable seed, with a retail value of over $700,000 to stricken areas. The initiative should provide a new crop in time to support the population in its efforts to regain self-sufficiency and to have adequate food for the coming year.

In January, 3,500 pounds of seed for planting tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, cabbage, watermelon and cantaloupe were shipped to two major distributors of Novartis Seeds in Honduras and Nicaragua. The varieties were carefully chosen to suit the climate and to meet the special dietary needs of the population. Working with churches and agricultural organizations, Agrosemillas S.A. of Managua, Nicaragua and Agromosa S.A. de C.V. of San Pedro Sula, Honduras will ensure that the seed is distributed to those in need in time for the new planting season. Novartis Seeds is covering all transportation costs and import fees. Last December, the company made special price reductions for commercial vegetable growers in Guatemala, who had also suffered damage from the same hurricanes.

Novartis companies and staff have already made a number of other donations to the hurricane victims, including medicines, nutrition products and cash contributions with a total value exceeding $4.5 million. These have been channeled through relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, Americare and others.

In October, Hurricanes Mitch and Georges caused the worst natural disaster in Latin America in the past two centuries, killing more than 10 000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. The destruction of vital crops, which are also the region's major source of income, and the damage to the infrastructure have cost billions of dollars.

Novartis Seeds, Inc., Vegetables is a leading U.S. agriculture and research company based in Boise, Idaho, that develops value-added genetics, and produces and markets vegetable and melon seed under the Rogers brand. Additional facilities are located in Nampa and Twin Falls, Idaho; Gilroy and Woodland, California; Naples, Florida; and Othello, Washington. It is affiliated with Novartis Seeds AG, a world-wide seed company, and part of Novartis, a world leader in Life Sciences with core businesses in Healthcare, Agribusiness and Consumer Health (Nutrition and Self-Medication). In 1998, Novartis Group sales were 21.8 billion dollars, of which 12.0 billion were in Healthcare, 5.8 billion in Agribusiness and 4.0 billion in Consumer Health. The group annually invests more than 2.5 billion dollars in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis employs about 85,000 people and operates in over 100 countries around the world.#

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