A PERSPECTIVE OF THE CALIFORNIA FIG INDUSTRY IN THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Let me now give you a little background on myself, my family's business and the California Fig Industry. As you know my name is Mike Jura, Jr. I am a third generation California Fig Grower and Processor. My grandparents began farming in 1923, just outside Fresno, California. Both grandparents emigrated from Italy to California in the early 1900's. My grandparents began processing dried figs in 1947. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away in 1948 and the business was closed down for 10 years. Then in 1958, my family along with a partner, re-opened the processing company and renamed it Producers Packing Corporation. In 1971, my family purchased the partner's interest, and the business has remained family-owned and operated ever since. Producers purchases, processes, packages and markets dried figs, fig products, dried fruits and Monukka raisins worldwide. In addition to myself, there are presently four other family members involved in the day to day operations of Producers and our farming operations. They are: my uncle Josept D. Jura, who is the President, my father Mike Jura, Sr., who is the Vice President, my sister Rosemarie Jura-Smith, wo handles our customer service and sales support, and cousin Kent Jura, who is in charge of farming operations.

Presently, we farm approximately 3,700 acres in the Central Valley in California; 2,000 acres in cotton, 75 acres in almonds, 90 acres in grapes, and finally 1,555 acres of figs. The figs are made up of all the major varieties grown in California; calimyrna, Black Mission, Adriatic and Kadota.

As for my own background, I am a lifelong resident of Fresno. I graduated from local schools and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Admistration, with an option in Agribusiness from California State University, Fresno, in 1984. Prior to graduating from college, I spent most, if not all of my summers working in the family business at either the field level or at the sorting shed. Even though I am only 35 years old I have been involved in fig growing and processing in some capacity for almost 25 years. I am presently the Chief Financial Officer having responsibility for our Finance, Administration, Sales, Marketing and our Grower Relations areas. I have also been involved with the California Fig Advisory Board for the last 13 years. This part year, I have had the privilege of serving as The Chairman of the Board.

Enough about me and my family, let me share some information about the California Fig Industry, more specifically the California Fig Advisory Board or CFAB as we refer to it. The CFAB operates as a Marketing Order under the authority of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The CFAB has four primary functions, 1) Grade Standarts, 2) Diversion of Substandard Figs, 3) Promotion, and 4) Research. The Board is made up of five processor and five grower representative, each elected to one-year terms that run from June 1 to May 31.

Each of the four functions mentioned have specific responsibilities, in my opinion the first Grade Standards is probably the CFAB's most important function. This area regulates the quality of Californi's dried figs that are used by processors and also regulates the quality of those dried figs that processors can sell. This provision of the

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