11.06.2006 - 01:56pm ET

(CSRwire) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA – November 6, 2006 – Dole achieved another major milestone toward expanding its organic operations with the recent inauguration of the company’s new organic banana facility in the La Guajira region of Colombia. Named the "Don Pedro" farm, the $8 million growing, harvesting, packing and shipping facility will employ more than 1,000 local residents.

A recent ceremony was held to inaugurate the new facility. At the event, Dole's president and chief operating officer, Richard Dahl, said, "the Don Pedro banana facility is yet another example of Dole's commitment to providing the highest quality products to consumers around the world. This facility also exemplifies Dole's commitment to Colombia. We have invested significantly in a state-of-the-art facility that will be a model for organic banana farming for years to come."

Don Pedro is the first banana farm in Colombia with a suspended cableway harvesting system that transports product from the farm directly to the packing plants. The facility also has a state-of-the-art irrigation system, advanced fruit cleansing operations and an aerial fruit propping system.

According to Dahl, these technologies represent just some of Dole’s advanced farming methods aimed at producing highly nutritious fruit while using limited chemical inputs.

Dole Food Company, Inc, with 2005 revenues of $5.9 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of packaged foods and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.

This release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "intends" and similar expressions. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein include weather-related phenomena; market responses to industry volume pressures; product and raw materials supplies and pricing; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; economic crises and security risks in developing countries; international conflict; and quotas, tariffs and other governmental actions. Further information on the factors that could affect Dole's financial results is included in its SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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