Boise, Idaho
February 12, 1999

Novartis Seeds, Inc., Vegetables announced the dealer network for its American Sunmelon brand today, as part of the integration of the American Sunmelon business purchased last fall. In the United States, Canada and Mexico, American Sunmelon varieties will be sold exclusively by seven Novartis dealers – Siegers Seeds, Mixon/Sawan Seed Co. and Seedway Inc. in the East; and Keithly-Williams, Champion Seed, Ahern International, and Sierra Seed Co. in the West.

All seven of these dealers are among the many companies that currently sell Novartis’ ROGERS(R) brand watermelon. Four of them (Siegers, Mixon/Sawan, Keithly-Williams and Champion) are also long-time American Sunmelon dealers. The addition of Seedway will further strengthen American Sunmelon presence in the east, while Sierra Seed Company and Ahern International will reinforce existing dealer efforts within key growth markets in Mexico.

Novartis Seeds’ purchase of American Sunmelon has given the company a strong leadership position in the North American watermelon seed industry. American Sunmelon’s Tri-X® brand series has led the market for seedless watermelon varieties for more than 25 years.

In addition to dealer changes, Novartis Seeds is increasing its watermelon breeding staff, and establishing a California-based breeding program and a Mexico-based trialing program. The company expects additional benefits to accrue to the watermelon program from facility enhancements planned at its Naples, Florida research station. These include additional laboratories and greenhouses, growth chambers, a post-harvest fruit quality and flavor evaluation lab and increased trialing acreage.

Other changes underway within Novartis as the two companies are integrated include the promotion of Craig Mathis, former Novartis southeast Area Business Manager to Crop Business Manager for Rogers and American Sunmelon watermelon brands. Mathis is a well-known advocate of the watermelon industry, currently serving on the Executive Committee of the National Watermelon Association.

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. I

t 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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