Merritt E W Farms, 11188 Road 192, Porterville, CA 93257, US

Sun World International was established in early 1976 as a packer and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables. Throughout its initial decade, the company was a leading producer and marketer of a wide range of commodities such as carrots, leaf lettuce, asparagus, green onions, sweet corn, cherries, cantaloupes, citrus, dates and strawberries. As one of California s leading agricultural concerns, the company develops, grows and markets an extensive collection of special fruits and vegetables. It operates the world s largest fruit breeding program and has extensive farming and packing operations in Southern and central California. An innovator in the rapidly changing agriculture industry, Sun World enjoys particular strength in farming and promoting unique produce varieties with improved flavor, size, color and seasonality. The company maintains administrative, research, farming, packing and marketing operations in Coachella and Bakersfield, Calif. It markets produce for dozens of growers throughout California and several other states, as well as in Mexico and Chile.