CHARLOTTE, N.C. and DUBLIN, Ireland, July 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE:CQB) ("Chiquita") and Fyffes plc (ESM: FFY ID: AIM: FFY LN) ("Fyffes") today announced that the registration statement on Form S-4 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") by ChiquitaFyffes Limited, a private limited company organized under the laws of Ireland ("ChiquitaFyffes") on April 30, 2014, and subsequently amended (the "Form S-4"), which includes a proxy statement of Chiquita, a prospectus of ChiquitaFyffes and an Irish scheme circular of Fyffes, was declared effective on Friday, July 25, 2014.

The companies also announced that they have each scheduled shareholder meetings for Wednesday, September 17, 2014 in connection with the proposed combination of Chiquita and Fyffes. In addition to the receipt of respective shareholder approvals, the transaction remains subject to other customary closing conditions, including receipt of certain additional regulatory clearances. Subject to the timely satisfaction of those conditions, Chiquita and Fyffes plan to complete the combination before the end of 2014.

Chiquita's special meeting of shareholders will be held on September 17, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. local time, at NASCAR Plaza, 550 South Caldwell Street, Charlotte, North Carolina.  This meeting is being held to seek shareholder approval of the transaction agreement and the merger and related matters.

There will be two special meetings of Fyffes shareholders on September 17, 2014 in connection with the combination. Both meetings will be held at the Clyde Court Hotel, Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4. The first meeting, which is convened by order of the Irish High Court, will be held at 10:00 a.m. (Irish time). Immediately following this meeting, an extraordinary general meeting of Fyffes shareholders will be held at 10:30 a.m. (Irish time) (or, if later, as soon as possible after the conclusion or adjournment of the first meeting). Both meetings are being held to seek shareholder approval of the scheme of arrangement in accordance with Irish law, and the approval of related matters by the Fyffes shareholders will also be sought at the extraordinary general meeting.

Chiquita's shareholders of record at the close of business on Monday, August 4, 2014, will be entitled to vote at the Chiquita shareholder meeting. Fyffes shareholders of record at 6:00 p.m. (Irish time) on Monday, September 15, 2014, will be entitled to vote at Fyffes shareholder meetings.

Chiquita expects to begin mailing a proxy statement/prospectus to its shareholders, and Fyffes expects to begin mailing the same proxy statement/prospectus which contains an Irish scheme circular to its shareholders, in the coming days, promptly following the record date for the Chiquita shareholder meeting. The proxy statement/prospectus and the Irish scheme circular will provide information for shareholders of both companies, as well as instructions for shareholders on voting.

ABOUT CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE:CQB) is a leading international marketer and distributor of nutritious, high-quality fresh and value-added food products - from energy-rich bananas, blends of convenient green salads and other fruits to healthy snacking products. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita® and Fresh Express® premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual revenues of more than $3 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 20,000 people and has operations in nearly 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit the corporate web site at www.chiquita.com.

ABOUT FYFFES PLC

Fyffes plc (ESM: FFY ID: AIM: FFY LN) is a leading international importer and distributor of tropical produce. With annual turnover in excess of $1.5 billion¹, it is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and has operations in Europe, the U.S., Central and South America and has begun operations in Asia. Fyffes activities include the production, procurement, shipping, ripening, distribution and marketing of bananas, pineapples and melons. It markets its produce under a variety of trademarks including the Fyffes® and Sol® brands and employs over 12,000 people worldwide.

¹ Includes share of revenue of Fyffes joint ventures of $342 million.

NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION

This announcement is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the proposed combination of Chiquita and Fyffes or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HAS BEEN FILED AND WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC

ChiquitaFyffes has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement on Form S-4 that includes a Proxy Statement that also constitutes a Prospectus of ChiquitaFyffes. The registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on July 25, 2014. The Form S-4 also includes the Scheme Circular and Explanatory Statement required to be sent to Fyffes shareholders for the purpose of seeking their approval of the combination. In the coming days, Chiquita and Fyffes will mail to their respective shareholders the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular in connection with the proposed combination of Chiquita and Fyffes and related transactions.  INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS/SCHEME CIRCULAR (INCLUDING THE SCHEME EXPLANATORY STATEMENT) AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CHIQUITA, FYFFES, CHIQUITAFYFFES, THE COMBINATION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular (including the Scheme) and other documents filed with the SEC by ChiquitaFyffes, Chiquita and Fyffes through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular (including the Scheme) and other documents filed by Chiquita, Fyffes and ChiquitaFyffes with the SEC by contacting Chiquita Investor Relations at: Chiquita Brands International, Inc., c/o Corporate Secretary, 550 South Caldwell Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 or by calling (980) 636-5000, or by contacting Fyffes Investor Relations at c/o Seamus Keenan, Company Secretary, Fyffes, 29 North Anne Street, Dublin 7, Ireland or by calling + 353 1 887 2700.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION

Chiquita, Fyffes, ChiquitaFyffes and their respective directors and executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the combination. Information about the directors and executive officers of Fyffes is set forth in its Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2013, which was published on April 11, 2014 and is available on the Fyffes website at www.fyffes.com. Information about the directors and executive officers of Chiquita is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, which was filed with the SEC on March 4, 2014, and its proxy statement for its 2014 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 11, 2014. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular described above and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement contains certain statements that are "forward-looking statements." These statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Chiquita and Fyffes, including: the customary risks experienced by global food companies, such as prices for commodity and other inputs, currency exchange fluctuations, industry and competitive conditions (all of which may be more unpredictable in light of continuing uncertainty in the global economic environment), government regulations, food safety issues and product recalls affecting Chiquita and/or Fyffes or the industry, labor relations, taxes, political instability and terrorism; unusual weather events, conditions or crop risks; continued ability of Chiquita and Fyffes to access the capital and credit markets on commercially reasonable terms and comply with the terms of their debt instruments; access to and cost of financing; and the outcome of pending litigation and governmental investigations involving Chiquita and/or Fyffes, as well as the legal fees and other costs incurred in connection with these items. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements relating to the combination involving Fyffes and Chiquita include, but are not limited to: statements about the benefits of the combination, including expected synergies and future financial and operating results; Fyffes and Chiquita's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; the expected timing of completion of the combination; and other statements relating to the combination that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations and projections and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements.

With respect to the combination, these factors include, but are not limited to: risks and uncertainties relating to the ability to obtain the requisite Fyffes and Chiquita shareholder approvals; the risk that Fyffes or Chiquita may be unable to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals required for the combination, or required governmental and regulatory approvals may delay the combination or result in the imposition of conditions that could reduce the anticipated benefits from the combination or cause the parties to abandon the combination; the risk that a condition to closing of the combination may not be satisfied; the length of time necessary to consummate the combination; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the combination may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; disruption arising as consequence of the combination making it more difficult to maintain existing relationships or establish new relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the ability of the combined company to retain and hire key personnel; the effect of future regulatory or legislative actions on the companies; and the risk that the credit ratings of the combined company or its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect.

These risks, as well as other risks associated with the combination, are more fully discussed in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular that is included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 that was filed with the SEC in connection with the combination and will be contained in the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular to be mailed to shareholders. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in Chiquita's reports filed with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and in Fyffes reports filed with the Registrar of companies available at Fyffes website at www.fyffes.com. Forward-looking statements included in this document speak only as of the date of this document. Neither Chiquita, nor Fyffes, undertakes any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.

No statement in this announcement is intended to constitute a profit forecast for any period, nor should any statements be interpreted to mean that earnings or earnings per share will necessarily be greater or lesser than those for the relevant preceding financial periods for Chiquita, or Fyffes or ChiquitaFyffes, as appropriate. No statement in this announcement constitutes an asset valuation.

STATEMENT REQUIRED BY THE TAKEOVER RULES

The directors of Chiquita accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement other than that relating to Fyffes and the Fyffes Group and the directors of Fyffes and members of their immediate families, related trusts and persons connected with them. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of Chiquita (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement for which they accept responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

The directors of Fyffes accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement relating to Fyffes and the Fyffes Group and the directors of Fyffes and members of their immediate families, related trusts and persons connected with them. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of Fyffes (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure such is the case), the information contained in this announcement for which they accept responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

DEALING DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

Under the provisions of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, "interested" (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of "relevant securities" of Fyffes or Chiquita, all "dealings" in any "relevant securities" of Fyffes or Chiquita (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such "relevant securities") must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 p.m. (Irish time) on the "business day" following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the date on which the Scheme becomes effective or on which the "offer period" otherwise ends. If two or more persons co-operate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an "interest" in "relevant securities" of Fyffes or Chiquita, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. Under the provisions of Rule 8.1 of the Irish Takeover Rules, all "dealings" in "relevant securities" of Fyffes by Chiquita or "relevant securities" of Chiquita by Fyffes, or by any person "acting in concert" with either of them must also be disclosed by no later than 12 noon (Irish time) on the "business day" following the date of the relevant transaction.

A disclosure table, giving details of the companies in whose "relevant securities" "dealings" should be disclosed can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie. "Interests in securities" arise, in summary, when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an "interest" by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website.

If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a "dealing" under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel on telephone number +353 1 678 9020; fax number +353 1 678 9289.

GENERAL

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in or into certain jurisdictions may restricted by the laws of those jurisdictions. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and all other documents relating to the combination are not being, and must not be, released, published, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, nominees, trustees and custodians) should observe these restrictions. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the companies involved in the proposed combination disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violations of any such restrictions by any person.

Any response in relation to the combination should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular or any document by which the combination, including the Scheme, are made. Chiquita shareholders and Fyffes shareholders are advised to read carefully the formal documentation in relation to the proposed combination once the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular has been dispatched.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., Goldman Sachs International and affiliates ("Goldman Sachs") is acting as financial adviser to Chiquita and no one else in connection with the combination and will not be responsible to anyone other than Chiquita for providing the protections afforded to clients of Goldman Sachs or for providing advice in relation to the combination, the contents of this announcement or any transaction or arrangement referred to herein. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Goldman Sachs in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC is acting as financial adviser to the Chiquita board of directors and no one else in connection with the combination and will not be responsible to anyone other than Chiquita for providing the protections afforded to clients of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC or for providing advice in relation to the combination, the contents of this announcement or any transaction or arrangement referred to herein. Neither Wells Fargo Securities, LLC nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Lazard & Co., Limited ("Lazard"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Fyffes and no one else in connection with the matters described in this announcement, and will not be responsible for anyone other than Fyffes for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the matters referred to in this announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Davy and Davy Corporate Finance each of which is regulated in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland, are acting for Fyffes and no one else in relation to the matters referred to herein. In connection with such matters, Davy and Davy Corporate Finance, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents will not regard any other person as their client, nor will they be responsible to anyone other than Fyffes for providing the protections afforded to their clients or for providing advice in connection with the matters described in this Document or any matter referred to herein.

CONTACT: Contacts for Chiquita
         Investors
         Steve Himes
         Tel: +1 980-636-5636
         Email: shimes@chiquita.com
         
         Media
         Ed Loyd
         Tel: +1 980-636-5145
         Email: eloyd@chiquita.com
         
         Contacts for Fyffes
         Investors
         Seamus Keenan
         Tel: + 353 1 887 2700
         Email: skeenan@fyffes.com
         
         Media
         Wilson Hartnell PR
         Brian Bell
         Tel: +353 1 669 0030
         Email: brian.bell@ogilvy.com