Mission Produce, Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Oct 31, 2024

Overview

Mission Produce, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries (“Mission Produce” or the “Company,” “Registrant,” or “Issuer,” and generally referred to as “we” or “us”), is a global leader in the avocado industry. The Company’s expertise lies in the farming, packaging, marketing and distribution of avocados to food retailers, distributors and produce wholesalers worldwide. The Company procures avocados principally from California, Mexico and Peru. Through our various operating facilities, we grow, sort, pack, bag and ripen avocados and a small amount of other fruits for distribution to domestic and international markets. We report our results of operations in three operating segments which are also reportable segments:

• Marketing & Distribution sources fruit from growers and then distributes fruit through our global distribution network;
• International Farming owns and operates orchards from which the vast majority of fruit produced is sold to our Marketing & Distribution segment. The segment’s farming activities range from cultivating early-stage plantings to harvesting from mature trees. It also earns service revenues for packing and processing fruit for both our Blueberries segment, as well as for third-party producers of other crops. Operations are principally located in Peru, with smaller operations emerging in other areas of Latin America.
• Blueberries is a farming operation that cultivates blueberry plants in Peru. The entity farms high-quality varieties of blueberries, and has plants in various stages of development, from seedling to mature.

Products and services

We primarily source, produce, pack and distribute avocados. The avocados we sell are primarily of the Hass variety. We sort and pack avocados and match their specifications to respective customer requirements. We sell both pre-ripe and ripened avocados, and with our network of ripening facilities, we can adjust the level of ripeness to the needs of our customers. Our custom ripening programs provide customers with the option of ordering avocados at five different stages of ripeness – hard, preconditioned, breaking, firm-ripe and ripe – which are delivered on specifically tailored schedules according to stage of ripeness. In 2021, we also began marketing mangos on a limited scale. Mangos are complementary to avocados as they typically have opposite seasons, allowing us to leverage and maintain absorption of our distribution network.

We also provide value-added services including ripening, bagging, custom packaging, logistical management, and quality assurance. In addition, we provide our customers with merchandising and promotional support, insights on market trends and hands-on training to assist with their retail sales of our avocados. For example, we operate category management, merchandising and packaging programs, such as our “Avo Intel,” “Minis—small but mighty,” “Emeralds in the Rough,” “Ready,” “Size Minded,” “Jumbos—more to eat, more to love” and shelf-life extension programs, to promote the sale of avocados that might otherwise be underutilized, to identify ready-to-eat and various size avocados for consumers and to increase shelf life.

In our Blueberries segment, we act as growers. Our exclusive supply agreement with an exclusive distributor allows us to utilize our existing infrastructure and workforce in Peru during complementary periods between avocado harvest and processing seasons.

Customers

We primarily market avocados to retail, wholesale and foodservice customers. We focus on delivering quality avocados on time and within customer specifications. We forecast avocado sourcing costs for the season for our own production, which enables us to enter into fixed price contracts with customers for a season without bearing pricing risk from spot market purchases. We do not have long-term supply contracts with our customers and focus instead on building strong, long-term relationships based on product quality and specifications, on-time delivery and customer support and service.

Supply chain and distribution network

Our global distribution network includes strategically located forward distribution centers across North America, China, Europe, and the U.K. equipped to offer value-added services such as ripening, bagging, custom packaging and logistical management. Our network of distribution facilities puts us in close proximity to our customers, allowing us to provide fruit based on customer timing, specification, and volume needs. Within the United States, we can deliver avocados within approximately eight hours or less.

Before being forwarded to distribution centers, avocados are sorted and packed at one of our four state-of-the-art packing facilities in Mexico, Peru, and California, or by co-packers in various locations. Our packing facilities are located in close proximity to growers, allowing us to control the logistics of the supply chain from tree to packing, to distribution. Transportation logistics are managed across truck, ocean, air and rail platforms, depending on origin and end markets.

Competition

We compete based on a variety of factors, including the appearance, taste, size, shelf life and overall quality of our fruit, price and distribution terms, the timeliness of our deliveries to customers and the availability of our products. The avocado and fresh produce business is highly competitive, and the effect of competition is intensified because our products are perishable. Marketing competitors include other distributors, producers, and other smaller packers and marketers. Farming competitors include other farming businesses of all sizes, from large-scale businesses and cooperatives, to individual farms.

Resources

We source avocados primarily from Mexico, Peru, and California, as well as Colombia, Guatemala, South Africa, Chile, and other locations. Our diverse sourcing network mitigates the impact of potential geographical or grower-specific supply disruptions and optimizes our ability to fulfill year-round global demand.

Third-party growers

We have relationships with thousands of third-party growers. Our large scale and long track record of working with growers contributes to strong existing relationships and facilitates new relationships with third-party growers. We do not have exclusive sourcing contracts with growers.

Farming

In addition to purchasing avocados from third-party growers, we have vertically integrated farming operations where we grow avocados on owned or leased land. In Peru, we own farmland with developed orchards that are in various stages of maturity. Since fiscal 2020, we have progressively planted new orchards in Guatemala on land under long-term leases, to diversify our vertical integration sourcing strategy. We also invest in a joint venture in Colombia that owns land that is under development. After planting, avocado trees begin to produce avocados in approximately three years and typically reach full production in approximately five to seven years, depending on location. We continue to innovate our farming practices to control the quality of our fruit, through various test plots, seed research, and soil analysis.

As of October 31, 2024, our approximate international avocado planted acreage, by age and rounded to the nearest hundred, was as follows:

(1) Acreage in Colombia is farmed through a joint venture.

We are also involved in the farming of other fruits on a limited scale. We have planted mango orchards in Peru to enable us to realize synergies from labor and facility management during the avocado off-season. We have also invested in a blueberry farming joint venture, Moruga. While we do not market blueberries, our investment in Moruga further allows us to leverage labor and facility investments in Peru.

Intellectual property

We have registered or submitted registrations for certain trademarks with the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office and with the appropriate bodies in international jurisdictions, including The MISSION & TOWER DESIGN® and MISSION PRODUCE™. In addition, we have several issued patents and copyrights that are not material to our business at this time.

Seasonality

The total sales and sales price of avocados fluctuates throughout the year due to variations in supply of avocados based on geographic location. For example, in California and Peru, the harvest of avocados typically peaks between April and September. In Mexico, avocados are harvested year-round, but the harvest typically peaks between December through March. Although these geographical differences may lead to fluctuations in the purchase price of avocados, our diverse geographical avocado growth and production capabilities help us mitigate volatility in our access to supply of avocados. As a result of the volumes sourced from our farming operations in Peru, we realize a greater portion of our gross profit during the third and fourth quarters of our fiscal year. Sales in our Blueberries segment are concentrated in the first and fourth quarters of our fiscal year in alignment with the Peruvian blueberry harvest season, which typically runs from July through January.

People

As of October 31, 2024, we had approximately 3,100 employees located worldwide, of which, 1,500 were located in Peru, 700 were located in Mexico, 500 were located in the U.S., and 400 were located in other regions such as Guatemala, the U.K., Europe and Canada. Our headcount in Peru is inclusive of our Moruga blueberry operation. Due to the cyclical nature of avocado production, we also hire temporary and seasonal workers on our farms in Peru and packing houses in the U.S. and Mexico to meet our needs.

We seek to provide an attractive workplace for our people by adhering to and demonstrating our values: FIRST – fun, innovative, reliable, successful, and trustworthy. We are actively involved in supporting our surrounding communities, and we contribute to important causes, including those focused on children, families, and agriculture education.

Regulation and Industry Associations

Our business is impacted by general and industry-specific government regulations and requirements. Below is a summary of some of the significant industry or commodity-related regulations that impact our business.

As an agricultural producer and marketer of consumable products, our operations are subject to extensive regulation by various federal government agencies, including the FDA, the USDA and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), as well as state and local agencies, with respect to product attributes, packing, labeling, storage and distribution. Under various statutes and regulations, these agencies prescribe requirements and establish standards for safety, purity and labeling. In addition, advertising of our products is subject to regulation by the FTC, and our operations are subject to health and safety regulations, including those issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”). Our packing facilities and products are subject to periodic inspection by federal, state and local authorities, including FDA review of our compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA") at all of our U.S. facilities. In addition, our operations in Mexico are subject to Mexican regulations, our operations in Peru are subject to Peruvian regulations, our operations in Europe and the U.K. are subject to applicable regulations for those regions, and our Guatemalan operations are subject to applicable Guatemalan regulations.

We are subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations. These laws and regulations govern, among other matters, the treatment, handling, storage, use and disposal of, and exposure to, hazardous materials and waste, including herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural products, the remediation of contaminated properties and climate change.

In the U.S., the Hass Avocado Board was established by the USDA to promote the sale of Hass variety avocados. This board provides a basis for unified funding of promotional activities based on an assessment on all avocados sold in the U.S. marketplace. The California Avocado Commission, which receives its funding from California avocado growers, has historically shouldered the promotional and advertising costs supporting avocado sales. We believe that the incremental funding of promotional and advertising programs in the U.S. will, in the long term, positively impact average selling prices and will favorably impact our avocado businesses. Similarly, Avocados from Mexico (“AFM”) was formed in 2013 as the marketing arm of the Mexican Hass Avocados Importers Association (“MHAIA”) and the Association of Growers and Packers of Avocados From Mexico (“APEAM”). In Peru, the organization Pro Hass promotes the marketing of high-quality Hass avocados, providing support to the local industry with technical research, packaging, and production.

Available Information

Our corporate headquarters are located at 2710 Camino Del Sol, Oxnard, California, and our telephone number is (805) 981-3650. Our internet address is www.missionproduce.com (http://www.missionproduce.com). The information on or that can be accessed through our website is not incorporated by reference in this report.

We make available free of charge certain reports and amendments that we file with the SEC, such as our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, our directors’ and officers’ Section 16 reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after filing or furnishing such materials to the SEC on the “Investor relations” section of our website. They are also available free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov).

You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with the other information contained in this annual report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements and the related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” before making a decision to purchase or sell shares of our common stock. We cannot assure you that any of the events discussed in the risk factors below will not occur. These risks could have a material and adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects. If that were to happen, the trading price of our common stock could decline. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations or financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Business

Reliance on primarily one main product subjects us to a concentrated set of risks for which there is limited ability to mitigate.

The impact of certain of the risks related to our business described herein may be exacerbated by the fact that we grow, market, and distribute, as applicable, one main product—avocados. Risks relating to the supply of fruit, pricing of fruit, competition, sales channel development, customer concentration, regulatory and governmental policy decisions and/or changes, including tariffs and other trade-related actions, and other of the risks related to our business may be further concentrated if it materially impacts our ability to farm, market, and distribute our main product effectively and could negatively impact our business, operations, and financial condition.

Our ability to generate revenues is limited by the supply of fruit and our ability to purchase or grow additional fruit.

Our ability to distribute fruit is limited by our ability to acquire supply from third-party growers and to produce fruit on our own farms. With a limited number of trees on our farms and on the farms from which we purchase, our ability to obtain supply from third parties and adapt to any changes in demand of our product is constrained. If we are unable to purchase sufficient volumes from third-party growers at acceptable prices or demand for our products were to increase in the future, we would need access to additional fruit from third-party suppliers or additional capacity and production from our owned farms. This may expose us to increases in short-term costs and additional production exposes us to additional long-term operating costs. If supply decreases dramatically, whether as a result of climate change, labor matters, regulatory or legal actions, or other problems, prices have and could dramatically increase and we may not be able to purchase sufficient fruit at acceptable prices. The impact of the limited supply and increased prices could decrease our revenues or increase our costs of goods sold, which would harm our business and financial results.

Our profitability is sensitive to fluctuations in market prices of our products which we do not control.

The pricing of fruit we purchase for distribution depends on supply, and excess supply or constrained supply can lead to price fluctuations and competitive pricing pressure. Growing conditions, harvest and fruit size and quality, regulatory or legal actions impacting available supply, and other factors endemic to farming and agriculture can significantly affect market prices and impact supply, size, and quality of product.

Pricing also depends on quality. Fresh produce is highly perishable and generally must be brought to market and sold soon after harvest. The selling price received depends on the availability and quality offered by us to customers and what comparable offerings are available in the market generally.

Pricing also depends on demand, including demand for particular products, sizes, and quality, and consumer preferences for particular food products are subject to fluctuations over time. Shifts in consumer preferences that impact demand at any given time can result from a number of factors, including dietary trends, price, attention to particular nutritional aspects, concerns regarding the health effects of particular products, attention given to product sourcing practices, economic factors, sustainability and ethical issues associated with supply chain practices, and general public perception of food safety risks. Consumer demand for our products also may be impacted by any public commentary that consumers may make regarding our products, as well as by changes in the level of advertising or promotional support that we employ or that are employed by relevant industry groups or third parties. If consumer preferences trend negatively with respect to our products, our sales volumes may decline as a result.

We are subject to increasing competition that may adversely affect our operating results.

The market for our products is highly competitive. Competition for the purchase of our products from suppliers and the sale of our products to our customers primarily comes from other marketers and distributors. If we are unable to consistently pay growers a competitive price for their fruit, these growers may choose to have their fruit marketed by alternative distributors. If we are unable to offer attractive prices or consistent supply of desired size and quality of fruit to retail, foodservice, wholesale, and other customers, they may choose to purchase from other companies. Such competition may adversely affect our volumes and prices, which would harm our business and results of operations.

We are subject to the risks of doing business internationally and our current international operations are subject to a number of inherent risks.

We conduct a substantial amount of business internationally, including: doing business with growers and customers who are located outside the United States; purchasing fruit from growers and packers in Mexico and other countries; owning or leasing thousands of acres of farms in other countries, operating sales, packing and/or distribution facilities in Peru, Mexico, and other international regions, having foreign joint ventures such as in Colombia, China, and South Africa, and selling products to foreign customers. We also continually explore sourcing, distribution and sales opportunities in additional countries. Conducting business internationally has exposed, and continues to expose, us to a variety of risks, including:

• Changes in legal or regulatory requirements affecting foreign investment, taxes, labor, imports and exports or changes in or interpretations of foreign regulations that may adversely affect our ability to sell our products, repatriate profits to the United States or operate our foreign-located facilities;
• adverse regulatory or governmental actions and interpretations that can be costly to challenge and even if/when challenged, may result in operational or business-related changes or have a negative operational or financial impact;
• failure to comply with restrictions on the ability of companies to do business in foreign countries;
• restrictive U.S. and foreign governmental actions, such as restrictions on transfers of funds and trade protection measures, including import/export duties and quotas and customs duties and tariffs, or unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers and regulatory requirements;
• compliance with a myriad of laws and legal regimes, including tax, employment, immigration and labor laws;
• negotiation and implementation of free trade agreements between the United States and other countries, particularly in Mexico which can reduce or increase barriers to international trade and thus affect the cost of conducting business internationally, including the cost of purchasing avocados;
• multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations such as tariffs and tax laws, export and import restrictions, employment laws, regulatory requirements and other governmental approvals, permits and licenses;
• potential failure by us or third parties we rely on to obtain and/or maintain regulatory approvals for the sale or use of our products in various countries;
• difficulties in managing global operations;
• logistics and regulations associated with shipping products, including infrastructure conditions and transportation delays;
• financial risks, such as longer payment cycles, difficulty enforcing contracts and collecting accounts receivable, and exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations;
• reduced protection for intellectual property rights, or lack of them in certain jurisdictions;
• economic weakness or instability, economic recessions, political and economic instability, including corruption, wars and regional or global conflicts, terrorism and political unrest, outbreak of disease, boycotts, curtailment of trade and other business restrictions;
• failure to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or other similar laws, including its books and records provisions and its anti-bribery provisions, by maintaining accurate information and control over sales activities and distributors’ activities;
• taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes;
• currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and other obligations incident to doing business in another country;
• workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States;
• production shortages or disruptions in supply, labor, transportation and trading; and
• business and shipping interruptions resulting from pandemics and natural or other disasters including earthquakes, volcanic activity, hurricanes, floods and fires.

We have encountered many of these risks, which have affected our international expansion and operations and, consequently, could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Inflationary pressures and increases in costs of commodities or other products we use in our business, such as fuel, packing, and paper, could adversely affect our operating results.

The price of various products that we use in packing, shipping, or distributing our products can significantly affect our costs. Fuel and transportation costs are a significant cost component and make up a meaningful portion of the price of much of the fruit that we purchase from growers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to, or to what extent we can, pass on to our customers the increased costs we incur in these respects.

The cost of paper is also significant to us because most of our products are packed in cardboard boxes. As the price of paper increases, our operating income will decrease if we are not able to effectively pass these price increases to our customers.

We may not have sufficient and established sales channels and geographic markets for growing industry and owned supply or to meet our growth goals.

We may fail to develop an effective customer strategy for our existing customers, or we may fail to establish and grow emerging markets and geographic channels, which may result in reduced profitability and negatively impact financial results.

We may not have sufficient and established sales channels and markets for growing industry and owned farm supply. As a result, we may sell fruit in less favorable markets at reduced profitability and/or dispose of the fruit at a loss. Lack of a holistic customer strategy and prioritization of customers for fulfillment during shortages or at sub optimal pricing may negatively impact financial results and cause operational challenges.

The loss of one or more of our largest customers, or a reduction in the level of purchases made by these customers, could negatively impact our sales and profits.

Sales to our top 10 customers amounted to approximately 69% of net sales for the year ended October 31, 2024, 65% for the year ended October 31, 2023, and 59% for the year ended October 31, 2022. We expect that a significant portion of our revenues will continue to be derived from a relatively small number of customers. We believe these customers make purchase decisions based on a combination of price, product quality, consumer demand, customer service performance, desired inventory levels and other factors that may be important to them at the time the purchase decisions are made. Changes in our customers’ strategies or purchasing patterns, including a reduction or increase in the number of suppliers from which they purchase, may adversely affect our sales. Additionally, our customers may face financial or other difficulties which may impact their operations and cause them to reduce their level of purchases from us, which could adversely affect the results of operations. Customers also may respond to any price increase that we may implement by reducing their purchases from us, resulting in reduced sales of our products. If sales of our products to one or more of our largest customers are reduced, this reduction may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any bankruptcy or other business disruption involving one of our significant customers also could adversely affect our results of operations.

We are also subject to an increasing number of customer requirements, including with respect to sustainability and corporate responsibility requirements applicable to our supply chain, and other operational requests that can be challenging and costly to implement and may affect our ability to source fruit and increase costs. Failure to provide adequate resources or to adopt a customer satisfaction strategy may damage relationships with key customers or subject us to loss of customers.

Mexican economic, political and societal conditions may have an adverse impact on our business.

Mexico is the largest source of our supply of avocados, and our business is affected by developments in that country. Shipments from Mexico to the United States are dependent on the border remaining open to imports, which has closed from time to time. In addition, security institutions in Mexico are under significant stress as a result of organized crime and gang and drug-related violence, which also could affect avocado production and shipments. This situation creates potential risks that affect a large part of our sourcing in Mexico and would harm our operations if it impacts our facilities or personnel. In addition, Mexican growers strike from time to time. We cannot provide any assurance that economic conditions or political developments, including any changes to economic policies or the adoption of other reforms proposed by existing or future administrations, in or affecting Mexico will not have a material adverse effect on market conditions, our ability to source fruit effectively, or on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

We are also subject to various legal and regulatory changes impacting labor in Mexico, including related to reform bills on subcontracting matters and unionization and collective bargaining. In November 2020, the President of Mexico signed a reform bill on subcontracting matters to add and repeal various articles of Mexico’s Federal Labor Law, Social Security Law, Law of the National Workers’ Housing Fund Institute, Federal Fiscal Code, Income Tax Law, the Value Added Tax Law, and other laws and regulations. This Reform on Outsourcing bill was later approved and published in the Official Gazette of the Federation in April 2021. The bill, amongst other things, prohibits the subcontracting of personnel unless the subcontracted personnel provides services or executes specialized works that are not part of the corporate purpose of economic activity of the beneficiary of the services. In November 2022, the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare set forth the criteria for subcontracting inspections and noted that cutting, harvesting or picking would be considered the predominant economic activity of companies who are engaged in the cultivation, packing, distribution, and export of fruit. Under this interpretation, we may be required to directly employ the avocado harvesting and picking crews in Mexico and may no longer be able to subcontract such personnel. We are analyzing the impact of this on our business and contemplating all avenues available to us to challenge and/or comply with both the bill and the criteria released in November 2022 for inspections. We have challenged the legality of the criteria before the Tax Court which has granted a favorable suspension of enforcement. Such suspension was appealed by the defendant authorities, and the Tax Court has ruled in favor of the Company and confirmed the definitive suspension granted to the Company. The Tax Court has also ruled that the ban on subcontracting of cutters, pickers, and harvesters is illegal and does not apply to the Company. An appeal has been made by the defendant authorities challenging the favorable rulings and such appeal is pending before the applicable courts. We may not prevail on the appeal, and/or we have and may challenge the applicability and interpretation or enforcement of such laws or positions against our subsidiary or operations in Mexico. If we are unsuccessful in our challenges, if any, or if we fail to comply with these regulations, we could be subject to fines, penalties, unfavorable tax and other positions, and/or we may have to make required operational changes. We may not have the infrastructure in place to make such changes in the time period required. This and other impacts from this bill could have a material impact on our operations, business, financial performance, and profitability.

Peruvian economic and political conditions may have an adverse impact on our business.

A significant part of our farming operations is conducted in Peru. Accordingly, our business, financial condition or results of operations are affected by changes in economic or other policies of the Peruvian government or other political, regulatory or economic developments in the country. During the past several decades, Peru has had a succession of regimes with differing policies and programs. Past governments have frequently intervened in the nation’s economy and social structure, and they and businesses associated with them also faced money laundering and corruption issues. Among other actions, past governments have imposed controls on prices, exchange rates and local and foreign investments, as well as limitations on imports, have restricted the ability of companies to dismiss employees and have prohibited the remittance of profits to foreign investors.

Because we have significant operations in Peru, political developments and economic conditions, including changes to economic policies or the adoption of other reforms proposed by existing or future administrations, in Peru and/or other factors could have a material adverse effect on market conditions, prices of our securities, our ability to obtain financing and our results of operations and financial condition.

Our performance may be impacted by general economic conditions or an economic downturn.

An overall decline in economic activity could adversely impact our business and financial results. Economic uncertainty, recessions, or inflationary pressures may reduce consumer spending and/or demand for our products as consumers make decisions on what to include in their food budgets. This could be caused by a number of reasons, including political unrest, wars or other conflicts, health pandemics or other matters beyond our control. This could also result in a shift in consumer preference and demand away from our products. Shifts in consumer spending could result in increased pressure from competitors or customers that may require us to increase promotional spending or reduce the prices of some of our products and/or limit our ability to increase or maintain prices, which could lower our revenue and profitability. Instability in financial markets may impact our ability, or increase the cost, to enter into new credit agreements in the future. Additionally, it may weaken the ability of our customers, suppliers, third-party distributors, banks, insurance companies and other business partners to perform their obligations in the normal course of business, which could expose us to losses or disrupt the supply of inputs we rely upon to conduct our business. If one or more of our key business partners fail to perform as expected or contracted for any reason, our business could be negatively impacted.

Failure to optimize our supply chain or disruption of our supply chain could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to source, produce, distribute, and sell products in coordination with our suppliers is critical to our success. We depend on the effectiveness of our supply chain management to ensure a reliable and sufficient supply of quality products. Our business has been, and may continue to be, impacted by supply chain constraints. These supply chain constraints could put significant inflationary pressures or cause significant disruption in our business and operations. The Company’s business and results of operations may be adversely affected by increased costs, disruption of supply or unavailability or shortages of materials, fuel and other supplies. In addition, disruption of operations at third party service providers, suppliers, or logistics providers may impact the Company’s ability to distribute products. Actions taken to mitigate the impact of any potential disruption, including increasing inventory in anticipation of a potential production or supply interruption, may adversely affect the Company’s financial results. Additionally, labor-related challenges have caused disruptions for many of these providers and may continue to impact the Company's ability to receive inputs or distribute products. Additionally, from time to time, we experience operational difficulties with third parties, which may include increases in costs, reductions in the availability of materials or production capacity, delays in the addition of incremental capacity, failures to meet shipment or production deadlines. The inability of a third-party supplier or provider to fulfill obligations in a timely manner or in desirable quantities or to meet our safety, quality and supplier standards or regulatory requirements could have a material adverse impact on our businesses, reputation, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Additionally, damage or disruption to our collective production or distribution capabilities resulting from weather, any potential effects of climate change, natural disaster, disease, crop spoilage, fire or explosion, terrorism, wars or regional/global conflicts, pandemics, strikes, repairs or enhancements at our facilities, or other reasons, could impair our ability to produce or sell our products. Failure to take adequate steps to mitigate the likelihood or potential impact of such events, or to effectively manage such events if they occur, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and may require additional resources to restore our supply chain.

Our ability to serve our customers is a function of reliable and cost-effective transportation. Disruption of the supply of these services and/or significant increases in the cost of these services could impact our operating income.

We use multiple forms of transportation to bring our products to market. They include sea, truck and air-cargo. Transportation costs include ship and truck operating expenses, using chartered refrigerated ships and trucks and container equipment related costs. Disruption to the timely supply or availability of these services or dramatic increases in the cost of these services for any reason including availability of fuel or labor for such services, labor disputes, governmental regulation, or governmental restrictions limiting specific forms of transportation could have an adverse effect on our ability to serve our customers and consumers and could have an adverse effect on our financial performance.

In the past, we have experienced increases in transportation costs, decreases in the availability of shipping, and other global supply chain complexities, including labor shortages. Such complexities have and could continue to result in delays in customer shipments which may negatively impact our ability to recover costs, retain or attract customers, and/or sell our product effectively. Significant disruptions could continue to occur and put pressure on transportation and shipping infrastructure. The fluctuation in transportation costs cannot always be predicted and there can be no assurances that such costs and/or shipping disruptions will not increase in the future. To the extent that we experience increased costs, we may increase our prices, pass the increase along to customers, or otherwise take actions to offset the impacts. We may not be able to offset increased costs fully or at all, and there can be no assurances that increasing prices will fully mitigate the impact of increases, which could adversely impact our results.

We depend on our key personnel and an effective organizational structure to run our business and if we fail to attract and retain key personnel, or fail to optimize our organization structure, we may not be able to implement our business strategy or operate our business effectively.

Our success largely depends on the contributions of our management team, including Stephen Barnard, our CEO. We believe that these individuals’ expertise and knowledge about our industry and their respective fields and their relationships with other individuals in our industry are critical factors to our continued growth and success. Failure or inability of key management team members to deliver on the Company’s strategic goals, execute on action items and plans, and/or operate the business in an effective manner may have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. We have had departures of members of senior management and other members of senior management could depart the Company. This could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects. Our success also depends upon our ability to adequately compensate, attract and retain qualified personnel. The operation of our facilities depends on adequate and affordable supply of labor and good labor relations with our employees. Our employees are essential to our operations and our ability to farm, package and/or deliver our products. We are subject to inflationary pressures in labor as well as a tight labor market for recruitment and retention of skilled, short- and long-term labor. If we are unable to attract and retain enough skilled personnel at a reasonable cost, our results may be negatively affected.

Growers from whom we source a significant portion of our supply from, and we ourselves as growers, are subject to the risks that are inherent in farming, including those related to climate change.

Our results of operations may be adversely affected by numerous factors over which we have little or no control and that are inherent in farming, including appropriate use of inputs and resources necessary for farming such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides, adverse weather including drought, floods, abnormally high or low temperatures or weather patterns, high winds, earthquakes and wildfires, and growing conditions, pest, and disease problems.

Government regulations regarding farming and the marketing of agricultural products or third-party advocacy groups and customers can impose additional requirements or prohibitions on farming or growing practices that impose additional costs on, or make it more difficult to conduct, our business.

In addition, the timing of harvests from global sourcing regions and the distribution, including transportation, of our products is dependent upon a number of factors, including weather, natural events, and climate change. The potential impact of climate change is uncertain and may vary by geographic region. The possible effects could include changes in rainfall patterns, water shortages, changing storm patterns and intensities, and changing temperature levels that could adversely impact our costs and business operations and the supply of our products. Our operations also rely on the availability of dependable and efficient transportation services and routes. A disruption in transportation services or routes as a result of climate change may also significantly impact our results of operations.

Legal, regulatory or other market pressures aimed at addressing climate change or other sustainability or environmental concerns could negatively affect our business operations. The increasing concern over climate change and related environmental or sustainability impacts may result in more regional, federal, foreign and/or global legal and regulatory requirements or additional market pressures aimed to reduce or mitigate the environmental impact of growing our products, including as it relates to greenhouse gases, water usage, deforestation, and other matters of concern.

Legislation and regulation requiring extensive disclosure and third-party audits of climate-related and other environmental data and the requirements that we and our suppliers must undertake to monitor our emissions and comply with reporting obligations will cause us to experience significant increases in costs and expenditure of resources. Additionally, efforts to improve energy and resource efficiency, mitigate environmental impacts from growing practices may cause significant additional costs or restrictions on our business and operations. We may not be able to pass any resulting cost increases to our customers. Furthermore, we may be required to make additional investments of capital to maintain compliance with new laws and regulations or in response to third party market pressures.

Due to the seasonality of the business, our revenue and operating results may vary from quarter to quarter and year to year.

Our earnings may be affected by seasonal factors, including:

• The availability, quality and price of fruit;
• the timing and effects of ripening and perishability;
• the ability to process perishable raw materials in a timely manner;
• fixed overhead costs during off-season months at our farms; and
• the impacts on consumer demand based on seasonal and holiday timing.

System security risks, data protection breaches, cyber-attacks and systems integration issues could disrupt our internal operations or services provided to customers, and any such disruption could reduce our expected revenue, increase our expenses, damage our reputation and adversely affect our stock price.

Our internal computer systems and those of our current and any future customers, partners, contractors, consultants, vendors and suppliers are vulnerable to damage from cyber-attacks, computer viruses, unauthorized access, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication, system, and electrical failures. Such system failures, accidents or security breaches can cause material disruption to our business operations and cause us to expend considerable resources to address such failures or breaches. Experienced computer programmers and hackers may be able to penetrate our information technology security and misappropriate or compromise our confidential information or that of third parties, create system disruptions or cause shutdowns, or develop and deploy phishing attempts, viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that attack our programs or otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities of our products or our people. In addition, sophisticated hardware and operating system software and applications that we produce or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of the system. The costs to us to eliminate or alleviate cyber or other security problems, bugs, viruses, worms, malicious software programs and security vulnerabilities could be significant, and our efforts to address these problems may not be successful and could result in interruptions, delays, cessation of service and loss of existing or potential customers that may impede our sales, production, distribution or other critical functions.

Portions of our information technology infrastructure have and may in the future experience interruptions, delays or cessations of service or produce errors in connection with systems integration or migration work that takes place from time to time. We have experienced difficulties, and may not be successful in the future, with implementing new systems and transitioning data, which have and could cause business disruptions. These difficulties have resulted in and may result in increased costs, time consuming and resource-intensive remediation efforts to address issues, and disruption to the business. Such disruptions have and could adversely impact our ability to fulfill orders and interrupt other key business processes. We have experienced delays and lower profit from these disruptions and may experience such difficulties in the future. As a result, our financial results, stock price, or reputation have and may be adversely affected.

We rely on third-party service providers, including software and cloud data service providers, for certain areas of our business, including sourcing/procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, information technology support services and administrative functions (such as payroll processing, health and benefit plan administration and certain finance and accounting functions). Failure by these third parties to meet their contractual, regulatory and other obligations to us, or our failure to adequately monitor their performance, could result in our inability to achieve the expected cost savings or efficiencies and result in additional costs to correct errors made by such service providers. Depending on the function involved, such errors can also lead to business disruption, systems performance degradation, processing inefficiencies or other systems disruptions, the loss of or damage to intellectual property or sensitive data through security breaches or otherwise, incorrect or adverse effects on financial reporting, litigation, claims, legal or regulatory proceedings, inquiries or investigations, fines or penalties, remediation costs, damage to our reputation or have a negative impact on employee morale, all of which can adversely affect our business.

We employ both internal resources and external consultants to conduct auditing and testing for weaknesses in our computer systems and network infrastructure to reduce the likelihood of any cybersecurity incident and have developed a multi-discipline response plan to help ensure that our executives are fully and accurately informed and manage, with the help of content experts, the discovery, investigation and auditing of, and recovery from any cybersecurity incidents. Despite these efforts, we can provide no assurance that these measures will successfully prevent all cybersecurity incidents or mitigate losses resulting from a cybersecurity incident.

Available cyber-risk insurance coverage and policy limits may not adequately cover or compensate us in the event of a cybersecurity incident. Our financial performance could be materially adversely affected if our operations are interrupted by a cybersecurity incident from which we are not able to promptly and fully recover, if any cyber-risk insurance is unable to fully address our losses and/or if we become subjected to litigation or regulatory action because of such an incident.

We are subject to stringent privacy laws, information security laws, regulations, policies and contractual obligations related to data privacy and security and such laws, regulations, policies and contractual obligations affect our business.

In the ordinary course of business, we collect, store, process and transmit confidential business information and certain personal information relating to customers, employees and suppliers. We are subject to data privacy and protection laws and regulations that apply to the collection, transmission, storage and use of personally-identifying information, which among other things, impose certain requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of personal information. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data protection continues to evolve in jurisdictions worldwide, and there has been an increasing focus on privacy and data protection issues with the potential to affect our business. Failure to comply with any of these laws and regulations could result in enforcement action against us, including fines, imprisonment of company officials and public censure, claims for damages by affected individuals, damage to our reputation and loss of goodwill, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Ongoing efforts to comply with evolving laws and regulations may be costly and require ongoing modifications to our policies, procedures and systems. If our or our partners’ or service providers’ privacy or data security measures fail to comply with requirements, we may be subject to litigation, regulatory investigations, enforcement notices requiring us to change the way we use personal data and/or fines, as well as compensation claims by affected individuals, negative publicity, reputational harm and a potential loss of business and goodwill.

It is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices and our efforts to comply with the evolving data protection rules may be unsuccessful. We must devote significant resources to understanding and complying with this changing landscape. Failure to comply with federal, state and international laws regarding privacy and security of personal information could expose us to penalties under such laws. Any such failure to comply with data protection and privacy laws could result in government-imposed fines or orders requiring that we change our practices, claims for damages or other liabilities, regulatory investigations and enforcement action, litigation and significant costs for remediation, any of which could adversely affect our business. Even if we are not determined to have violated these laws, government investigations into these issues typically require the expenditure of significant resources and generate negative publicity, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

Food safety events, including instances of food-borne illnesses, could create negative publicity for our customers and adversely affect sales and operating results.

Food safety is a top priority, and we dedicate substantial resources to ensure that our customers enjoy safe, quality products. However, food safety events, including instances of food-borne illness, have occurred with avocados in the past, and could occur in the future. Food safety events experienced by our customers, whether or not they involve our fruit, could adversely affect sales to those customers. In addition, customers who purchase our fruit for their food products could experience negative publicity, or experience a significant increase in food costs if there are food safety events. If such customers experience a decline in sales as a result of such food safety event, our results of operations would be adversely affected.

A recall of our products could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, we may be subject to significant liability claims should the consumption of any of our products cause injury, illness or death.

The sale of food products for human consumption involves the risk of injury to consumers. Such injuries may result from tampering by unauthorized third parties, product contamination or spoilage, including the presence of foreign objects, pathogenic bacteria, substances, chemicals, or residues introduced during the growing, storage, handling or transportation phases. While we are subject to governmental inspection and regulations and believe our facilities comply in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, we cannot be sure that consumption of our products will not cause a health-related illness in the future or that we will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness or injury could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image.

We are subject to possible changing United States Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration regulations that govern the importation of our products into the United States.

The USDA has established, and continues to modify, regulations governing the importation of our products into the United States, and also limits the countries from which our products may be imported. Our permits that allow us to import foreign-sourced products into the United States generally are contingent on our compliance with these regulations. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if we are unable to comply with existing and modified regulations and are unable to secure import permits in the future.

The FDA establishes, and continues to modify, regulations governing the distribution of our products, such as the Food Safety Modernization Act, which implements mandatory preventive controls for food facilities and growing operations to comply with mandatory produce safety standards. The FDA final rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods (Food Traceability Final Rule) establishes traceability recordkeeping requirements, beyond those in existing regulations, for persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods included on the Food Traceability List (FTL). Complying with these rules can be costly and resource intensive and may adversely affect our business, operations, and financial condition if we are unable to implement processes to comply with these existing and future regulations or if we fail to comply with these existing and future regulations.

Changes to U.S. trade policy, tariff and import/export regulations may adversely affect our operating results.

Changes in U.S. or international social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing foreign trade, development and investment in the territories or countries where we currently conduct our business, as well as any negative sentiment toward the U.S. as a result of such changes, could adversely affect our business. The U.S. has instituted or proposed changes in trade policies that include the negotiation or termination of trade agreements, the imposition of higher tariffs on imports into the U.S., economic sanctions on individuals, corporations or countries, and other government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and other countries where we conduct our business.

As a result of policy changes and government proposals, there may be greater restrictions and economic disincentives on international trade. The new tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy could trigger retaliatory actions by affected countries, and foreign governments have instituted or are considering imposing trade sanctions on U.S. goods. Such changes have the potential to adversely impact the U.S. economy or sectors thereof, our industry and the global demand for our products, and as a result, could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to health and safety laws, which restrict our operations and increase our operating costs.

We are required to comply with health and safety laws and regulations in the United States, and in other countries where we do business and/or conduct our operations, including the UK, EU, Peru and Mexico, and are subject to periodic inspections by the relevant governmental authorities. These laws and regulations govern, among others, health and safety workplace conditions, including high risk labor and the handling, storage and disposal of chemical and other hazardous substances. Compliance with these laws and regulations and new or existing regulations that may be applicable to us in the future, restrict our operations and increase our operating costs and could adversely affect our financial results of operations and cash flows.

Compliance with environmental laws and regulations, including laws pertaining to the use of herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides or climate change, or liabilities thereunder, could result in significant costs that adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial position, cash flows and reputation.

We are subject to a variety of federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to environmental matters. In particular, our business depends on the use of herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural products and the use and disposal of these products in some jurisdictions are subject to regulation by various agencies. These laws and regulations may require that only certified or professional users apply the product or that certain products only be used in certain types of locations. These laws and regulations may also require users to post notices on properties at which products have been or will be applied, notification to individuals in the vicinity that products will be applied in the future, or labeling of certain products or may restrict or ban the use of certain products. We can give no assurance that we can prevent violations of these or other laws and regulations from occurring. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we could be subject to, among other things, substantial penalties or fines, partial or complete cessation of our operations or a ban on the sale of part or all of our products in a jurisdiction. Even if we are able to comply with all such laws and regulations and obtain all necessary registrations and licenses, we cannot guarantee that the herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides or other products we apply, or the manner in which we apply them, will not be alleged to cause injury to the environment, people or animals, or that such products will not be restricted or banned in certain circumstances. A decision by a regulatory agency to significantly restrict the use of or ban such products that have traditionally been used in the cultivation of one of our principal products could have an adverse impact on us. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, undertakes a series of regulatory actions relating to the evaluation and use of pesticides in the food industry. Similar regulations in the EU and Asia govern the pesticide approval and use process. Actions regarding the availability and use of herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural products, the costs of compliance, consequences of non-compliance, remediation costs and liabilities, unfavorable public perceptions of such products or products liability lawsuits could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial position, cash flows and reputation.

There has been a broad range of proposed and promulgated state, national, local and international regulation aimed at reducing the effects of climate change. Such regulations apply or could apply in countries where we conduct operations or have interests or could conduct operations or have interests in the future. In the United States, there is a significant possibility that some form of regulation will be enacted at the federal level to address the effects of climate change. Such regulation could take several forms that could result in additional costs in the form of taxes, the restriction of output, investments of capital to maintain compliance with laws and regulations, or required acquisition or trading of emission allowances. Climate change regulation continues to evolve, and while it is not possible to accurately estimate either a timetable for implementation or our future compliance costs relating to implementation, such regulation could have a material effect on our business, results of operations, financial position or capital expenditures. To the extent that climate change affects our farms, including their water supply, our ability to grow crops could be harmed.

The acquisition of other businesses could pose risks to our financial condition and results.

From time to time, we review acquisition and investment prospects that could complement our business. Future acquisitions by us could result in accounting charges, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, and increased debt and contingent liabilities, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and the market price of our common stock. Acquisitions entail numerous risks, including the integration of the acquired operations, diversion of management’s attention to other business concerns, risks of entering markets in which we have limited prior experience, assumption of liabilities and the potential loss of key employees of acquired organizations. We may be unable to successfully integrate businesses or the personnel of any business that might be acquired in the future, and we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisition. Our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business and on the market price of our common stock, and we may also not be able to achieve an attractive return on our investments.

We depend on our infrastructure to have sufficient capacity to handle our business needs.

We have an infrastructure that supports our production and distribution, but if we lose machinery or facilities due to natural disasters, mechanical failures, or other reasons, we may not be able to operate at a sufficient capacity to meet our needs. We will also continue to make investments in existing and new facilities to meet our needs. Any inability to have sufficient facilities, or loss or failure of facilities, could have a material adverse effect on our business, which could impact our results of operations and our financial condition. In addition, we have invested heavily in our distribution centers and packing facilities. Failure to utilize, manage, and operate such facilities, including preservation and maintenance of machinery and management and resource allocation related to labor, in an effective and efficient manner could cause operational and financial losses.

The efficient management of our operations depends upon our ability to protect our computer systems and network infrastructure against damage from theft, casualties such as fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or other catastrophic events, as well as from internal and external security breaches, denial of service attacks, viruses, worms, malware, ransomware, breaches of the algorithms they or their third-party service providers use to encrypt and protect data and other malicious or disruptive events.

Adverse results in material litigation or governmental inquiries and actions could have an adverse financial impact and an adverse impact on our business and financial condition.

We are involved in various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business including, among other things, disputes related to employee matters such as class action lawsuits, disputes with respect to vendors or business partners and clients, as well as inquiries or investigations from governmental agencies. In addition, we are and may be subject to actions by or disputes with governmental bodies or third parties regarding our proper ownership of land and other assets which may result in loss or disposition of assets without adequate compensation and/or at our expense and/or monetary damages. Some proceedings against us involve claims that are substantial in amount and could divert management's attention from operations. These proceedings also may result in substantial monetary damages. Further, legal actions and government investigations could damage our reputation with investors and adversely affect the trading prices of our securities.

We are subject to extensive government regulation in the jurisdictions in which we do business which can negatively impact our financial condition, results of operation, and cash flows.

We are subject to government regulation in the United States and in the foreign jurisdictions where we conduct business. The application of laws and regulations to our business is sometimes unclear. Compliance with laws and regulations may involve significant costs or require changes in business practices that could result in reduced profitability. If there is a determination that we have failed to comply with applicable laws or regulations, we may be subject to penalties or sanctions that could adversely impact our reputation and financial results. Compliance with changes in laws or regulations can result in increased operating costs and require additional, unplanned capital expenditures. Export controls or other regulatory restrictions could prevent us from shipping our products to and from some markets or increase the cost of doing so. Changes in tax laws and regulations and international tax treaties could affect the financial results of our businesses. Increasingly aggressive enforcement of anti-bribery and anti-corruption requirements, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the United Kingdom Bribery Act and the China Anti-Unfair Competition Law, could subject us to criminal or civil sanctions if a violation is deemed to have occurred. In addition, we are subject to laws and sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other jurisdictions where we do business that may prohibit us, or certain of our affiliates, from doing business in certain countries, or restricting the kind of business that we may conduct.

Further, we cannot guarantee that our internal controls and compliance systems will always protect us from acts committed by employees, agents, business partners or that businesses that we acquire would not violate U.S. and/or non-U.S. laws, including the laws governing payments to government officials, bribery, fraud, kickbacks and false claims, pricing, sales and marketing practices, conflicts of interest, competition, export and import compliance, money laundering, and data privacy. Any such improper actions or allegations of such acts could damage our reputation and subject us to civil or criminal investigations in the U.S. and in other jurisdictions and related shareholder lawsuits, could lead to substantial civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties, and could cause us to incur significant legal and investigatory fees. In addition, the government may seek to hold us liable as a successor for violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.

Our business depends on a strong and trusted brand, and any failure to maintain, protect, and enhance our brand would have an adverse impact on our business.

Consumer and institutional recognition of the Mission Produce word and design marks and related brands and the association of these brands with our sourcing, production and distribution of fresh avocados, and mangos, are an integral part of our business. The occurrence of any events or rumors that cause consumers and/or institutions to no longer associate these brands with our products and services may materially adversely affect the value of our brand names and demand for our products and services.

In addition, certain of our registered trademark applications have been opposed, and the registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names that we own or may own in the future may be challenged, infringed, declared generic, or determined to be infringing on or dilutive of other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights in these trademarks and trade names, which we need in order to build name recognition with potential customers. Moreover, third parties have and others may file for registration of trademarks similar or identical to our trademarks; if they succeed in registering or developing common law rights in such trademarks, and if we are not successful in challenging such third-party rights, we may not be able to use these trademarks to develop brand recognition of our technologies and products. Furthermore, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. If we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, we may not be able to compete effectively, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We could be subject to changes in tax rates, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities.

We are subject to taxes in the U.S., Mexico, Peru, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change. Our effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation.

We are also subject to the examination of our tax returns and other tax matters by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), the Servicio de Administración Tributaria in Mexico (“SAT”), the Superintendencia Nacional de Administración Tributaria in Peru (“SUNAT”) and other tax authorities. We regularly assess the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of its provision for taxes. There can be no assurance as to the outcome of these examinations. If our effective tax rates were to increase, or if the ultimate determination of our taxes owed is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, our financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be adversely affected.

In December 2021, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”), which is an international public policy setting organization comprised of member countries including the U.S., published a proposal for the establishment of a global minimum tax rate of 15% (the “Pillar Two rule”). The OECD has recommended that the Pillar Two rule become effective for fiscal years beginning after January 1, 2024, which is our fiscal 2025. To date, member states are in various stages of implementation and the OECD continues to refine technical guidance.

On December 30, 2020, Peru enacted tax law repealing current tax law which provided benefits to agribusiness entities. The new law subjects us to higher Peruvian corporate income tax rates than the rate in effect on the date of repeal of 15%, as follows: 20% for calendar years 2023 to 2024, 25% for calendar years 2025 to 2027, and 29.5% thereafter.

We are subject to value-added taxes (VAT) in various foreign jurisdictions, including Mexico. Where we are entitled to a refund of the VAT we have paid, we are required to make a claim for a refund from the government authorities. Government authorities in Mexico have and could continue to reject our VAT refund requests on certain of our outsourced picking services related to harvesting fruit in Mexico. Although we believe the amounts we have claimed are fully realizable, continued government actions in Mexico could further delay the receipt of our refunds, cause us to settle for a lesser amount, or result in inability to capture the refunds both historically and in the future. This could adversely impact our future cash flows and/or pretax earnings.

Global conflicts, including those between Russia and Ukraine and the war in the Middle East may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Given the nature of our business and our global operations, political, economic, and other conditions in foreign countries and regions, including geopolitical risks such as the current conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and the war in the Middle East, may adversely affect our business and results of operations. The broader consequences of these conflicts, which may include sanctions, embargoes, regional instability, and geopolitical shifts; transportation bans relating to certain routes, or strategic decisions to alter certain routes; potential retaliatory action by governments against companies, including us; increased tensions between the United States and countries in which we operate; and the extent of these conflicts’ effects on our business and results of operations as well as the global economy, cannot be predicted.

Our business is heavily dependent on certain factors and risks such as those we have described in Item 1A that may limit our ability to accurately forecast our future performance and increase the risk of an investment in our common stock.

Our financial results may be significantly affected by variations in pricing on the purchase and sale of fruit and fluctuations in crop sizes and the volume of fruit available from owned and third-party sources. We may not be able to, or we may fail to, appropriately forecast, estimate and predict the significant inputs that impact our financial performance. Any guidance or forward-looking statement regarding future performance is subject to this uncertainty.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

An active, liquid and orderly market for our common stock may not be maintained.

Our common stock began trading on Nasdaq in October 2020, but we can provide no assurance that we will be able to maintain an active trading market for our common stock. The lack of an active market may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that you consider reasonable. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares and may impair our ability to acquire other businesses or technologies using our shares as consideration, which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our growth.

The trading price of the shares of our common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be, highly volatile, and purchasers of our common stock could incur substantial losses.

Our stock price has been and is likely to continue to be volatile. The stock market has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, investors may not be able to sell their common stock at or above the price at which they paid. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by those factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and many others.

Our executive officers and directors, if they choose to act together, have the ability to control or significantly influence all matters submitted to stockholders for approval. Furthermore, many of our current directors were appointed by our principal stockholders.

Our executive officers and directors, in the aggregate, own approximately 34% of our outstanding common stock as of October 31, 2024. Furthermore, many of our current directors were appointed by our principal stockholders. As a result, such persons or their appointees to our Board of Directors, acting together, have the ability to control or significantly influence all matters submitted to our Board of Directors or stockholders for approval, including the appointment of our management, the election and removal of directors and approval of any significant transaction, as well as our management and business affairs. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us, or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our business, even if such a transaction would benefit other stockholders.

Because we may not pay any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, may be your sole source of gain.

We have paid cash dividends on our capital stock in the past but cannot guarantee that we will continue to do so in the future. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial condition, any contractual restrictions, our indebtedness, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the appreciation of their stock. Shares of our common stock may not appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which stockholders have purchased their shares.

We incur significant costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, which require, among other things, that we file with the SEC, annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules subsequently adopted by the SEC and Nasdaq to implement provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, impose significant requirements on public companies, including requiring establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and changes in corporate governance practices. Further, pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the SEC has adopted additional rules and regulations in these areas, such as mandatory “say on pay” voting requirements. Stockholder activism, the current political environment and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, including with respect to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact the manner in which we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate.

The rules and regulations applicable to public companies has and will continue to substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time consuming. If these requirements divert the attention of our management and personnel from other business concerns, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The increased costs will decrease our net income or increase our net loss, and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business. We cannot predict or estimate the amount or timing of additional costs we may incur to respond to these requirements. The impact of these requirements could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board of Directors, our board committees or as executive officers.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports or publish unfavorable research or reports about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If no securities or industry analysts commence or continue coverage of our company, the trading price for our stock would be negatively impacted. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our stock, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases to cover us or fails to regularly publish reports on us, interest in our stock could decrease, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

If we fail to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements could be impaired, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and the trading price of our common stock may decline.

Pursuant to Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, our management is required to report upon the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting beginning with the annual report for our fiscal year ending October 31, 2021. Our independent registered public accounting firm is required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The rules governing the standards that must be met for management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant documentation, testing and possible remediation. To comply with the requirements of being a reporting company under the Exchange Act, we have implemented additional financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures; and hired additional accounting and finance staff. If we or, if required, our auditors are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and the trading price of our common stock may decline.

There could be material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.

Provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could discourage a takeover that stockholders may consider favorable and may lead to entrenchment of management.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our Board of Directors. Because our Board of Directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by our stockholders to replace current members of our management team. These provisions provide, among other things, that:

• our Board of Directors has the exclusive right to expand the size of our Board of Directors and to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the Board of Directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which prevents stockholders from being able to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors;
• our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with each class serving staggered three-year terms, which may delay the ability of stockholders to change the membership of a majority of our Board of Directors;
• our stockholders may not act by written consent, which forces stockholder action to be taken at an annual or special meeting of our stockholders;
• a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by the chairperson of our Board of Directors, our chief executive officer, president or our Board of Directors, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors;
• our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prohibits cumulative voting in the election of directors, which limits the ability of minority stockholders to elect director candidates;
• our Board of Directors may alter provisions of our bylaws without obtaining stockholder approval;
• the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote at an election of directors is required to adopt, amend or repeal our bylaws or repeal the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation regarding the election and removal of directors;
• stockholders must provide advance notice and additional disclosures in order to nominate individuals for election to the Board of Directors or to propose matters that can be acted upon at a stockholders’ meeting, which may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company; and
• our Board of Directors is authorized to issue shares of preferred stock and to determine the terms of those shares, including preferences and voting rights, without stockholder approval, which could be used to significantly dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer.

Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or stockholders owed to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time); or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine. We believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law by chancellors particularly experienced in resolving corporate disputes, efficient administration of cases on a more expedited schedule relative to other forums and protection against the burdens of multi-forum litigation.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exclusive forum provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act, the Securities Act or any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. If any such action is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “foreign action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder will be deemed to have consented to (a) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce such actions and (b) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such stockholder. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act of the rules and regulations thereunder, and Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and notwithstanding the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder may not be waived by our investors. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable.

This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.

Risks Related to Our Indebtedness

We are subject to a number of restrictive covenants under our credit facility, which could affect our flexibility to fund ongoing operations, uses of capital and strategic initiatives, and, if we are unable to maintain compliance with such covenants, it could lead to significant challenges in meeting our liquidity requirements and acceleration of our debt.

The terms of our credit facility contain a number of restrictive covenants, including customary operating restrictions that limit our ability to engage in such activities as borrowing and making investments, capital expenditures and distributions on our capital stock, and engaging in mergers, acquisitions and asset sales. We are also subject to customary financial covenants, including a leverage ratio and a fixed coverage ratio. These covenants restrict the amount of our borrowings, reducing our flexibility to fund ongoing operations and strategic initiatives. These borrowing arrangements are described in more detail in “Liquidity and Capital Resources” under Part II, Item 7 and in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements under Part II, Item 8 of this annual report. Compliance with some of these covenants is based on financial measures derived from our operating results. If economic conditions deteriorate, we may experience material adverse impacts to our business and operating results, such as through reduced customer demand and inflation. A decline in our business could make us unable to maintain compliance with these financial covenants, in which case we may be restricted in how we manage our business and deploy capital, including by limiting our ability to make acquisitions and dispositions and pay dividends. In addition, if we are unable to maintain compliance with our financial covenants or otherwise breach the covenants that we are subject to under our credit facility, our lenders could demand immediate payment of amounts outstanding and we would need to seek alternate financing sources to pay off such debts and to fund our ongoing operations. Such financing may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. In addition, our term loans are secured by real property, personal property and the capital stock of our subsidiaries. If we cannot repay all amounts that we have borrowed under our term loans, our lenders could proceed against our assets.

Our Board of Directors considers cybersecurity risk to be an important potential risk to our business. The Board of Directors has delegated to the Audit Committee oversight of cybersecurity and other information technology risks affecting the Company. The Audit Committee periodically evaluates our cybersecurity strategy to ensure its effectiveness. Management provides regular reports to the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors regarding cybersecurity and other information technology risks.

Our Chief Information Officer oversees our information security program. His teams are responsible for leading enterprise-wide cyber resilience strategy, policy, standards, architecture, and processes. We devote significant resources to protecting and continuing to improve the security of our computer systems, software, networks, and other technology assets. Our security efforts are designed to preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and continued availability of all information owned by, or in the care of, the Company and protect against, among other things, cybersecurity attacks by unauthorized parties attempting to obtain access to confidential information, destroy data, disrupt, or degrade service, sabotage systems, or cause other damage. Our information security program is integrated into our overall enterprise risk management program and shares common reporting channels and governance processes that apply to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas.

We identify and address information security risks by employing a defense-in-depth methodology that provides multiple, redundant defensive measures and prescribes actions to take in case a security control fails or a vulnerability is exploited. We leverage internal resources, along with strategic external partnerships, to mitigate cybersecurity threats to the Company. We have partnerships for Security Operations Center (SOC) services and various third-party assessments. We deploy both commercially available solutions and proprietary systems to manage threats to our information technology environment actively.

Certain of our information technology applications are externally audited as part of our Sarbanes-Oxley audit program and our controls include information security standards. We design and assess our information security program based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework (NIST CSF). This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, only that we use the NIST CSF as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business. We regularly engage appropriate external resources regarding emerging threats to navigate the diverse cybersecurity landscape.

In addition to ensuring adequate safeguards are in place to minimize the chance of a successful cyber-attack, the Company has established well-defined response procedures to effectively address cyber events that may occur despite these robust safeguards. These response procedures are designed to identify, analyze, contain, and remediate such cyber incidents to ensure a timely, consistent, and compliant response to actual or attempted data incidents impacting the Company. The Company devotes appropriate resources and enlists partners to adapt to the evolving threat landscape.

The Company takes data protection seriously and ensures employees understand their role in keeping the Company safe from cyber-attacks. We employ a robust information security and training program for our employees, including mandatory computer-based training, regular internal communications, and ongoing end-user testing to measure the effectiveness of our information security program. As part of this commitment, we require our employees to complete a Cybersecurity Awareness eCourse and acknowledge our Information Security policies. In addition, we have an established schedule and process for regular phishing awareness campaigns that are designed to emulate real-world contemporary threats and provide immediate feedback (and, if necessary, additional training or remedial action) to employees.

We have experienced no material information security breaches in the last three years. As such, we have not spent any material amount of capital on addressing information security breaches in the last three years, nor have we incurred any material expenses from penalties and settlements related to a material breach during this same time. We also carry third-party cybersecurity insurance.

Our principal operating, distribution and packing facilities as of October 31, 2024 were as follows:

We own and lease approximately 16,200 of plantable acres of agricultural land under our farming operations. Our principal farming properties as of October 31, 2024 were as follows:

We believe that our facilities are adequate to meet our current needs, and that suitable additional alternative spaces will be available in the future on commercially reasonable terms, if required. For additional information on leased property, see Note 10 of this annual report on Form 10-K.

We are from time to time involved in legal proceedings and investigations arising in the ordinary course of business, including those relating to employment matters, relationships with clients and contractors, intellectual property disputes and other business matters.

On April 23, 2020, former Mission Produce, Inc. employees filed a class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles against us alleging violation of certain wage and labor laws in California, including failure to pay all overtime wages, minimum wage violations, and meal and rest period violations, among others. Additionally, on June 10, 2020, former Mission Produce, Inc. employees filed a class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Ventura against us alleging similar violations of certain wage and labor laws. The plaintiffs in both cases seek damages primarily consisting of class certification and payment of wages earned and owed, plus other consequential and special damages. While the Company believes that it did not violate any wage or labor laws, in May 2021, the plaintiffs in both class action lawsuits and the Company agreed to settle the class action cases. Per the terms of the settlement agreement between the parties, the total amount of the settlement is $1.5 million. The Court granted Final Approval of the Class Action Settlement on June 10, 2024. Payment was sent to the Settlement Administrator on June 26, 2024, to be distributed directly to the class members. Once all settlement checks have been distributed and cashed or returned pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the action will be dismissed with prejudice. The Court has set a deadline of June 2025 for Plaintiff to file a declaration from the settlement administrator regarding disbursal of funds.

On October 21, 2024, a former temporary worker placed at the Company’s California packinghouse by a labor contractor utilized by the Company, filed a class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Ventura County against us alleging violations of certain wage and hour laws. The plaintiff seeks damages primarily consisting of class certification, payment of wages earned and owed, liquidated damages, penalties and fees, and injunctive relief. The Company is vigorously defending against the claims. At this time, it is too soon to determine the outcome of the litigation. As a result, the Company has not accrued for any loss contingencies related to these claims because the amount and range of loss, if any, cannot currently be reasonably estimated.

The outcomes of our legal proceedings and other contingencies are inherently unpredictable, subject to significant uncertainties, and if one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that period could be materially adversely affected.

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements based upon our current beliefs, plans and expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Please refer to the section of this report under the heading “Forward Looking Statements.”

Overview

We are a world leader in sourcing, producing and distributing Hass avocados, serving retail, wholesale and foodservice customers. We source, produce, pack and distribute avocados and a small amount of other fruits to our customers and provide value-added services including ripening, bagging, custom packaging and logistical management. In addition, we provide our customers with merchandising and promotional support, insights on market trends and training designed to increase their retail avocado sales.

Reportable segments

We have three operating segments which are also reportable segments. Our reportable segments are presented based on how information is used by our CEO, who is the chief operating decision maker, to measure performance and allocate resources. After the consolidation of Moruga on May 1, 2022, the information used by the CEO was expanded to include the results of Moruga, and as such, we determined our reportable segments to be:

• Marketing & Distribution. Our Marketing & Distribution reportable segment sources fruit from growers and then distributes the fruit through our global distribution network.
• International Farming. International Farming owns and operates orchards from which the vast majority of fruit produced is sold to our Marketing & Distribution segment. The segment’s farming activities range from cultivating early-stage plantings to harvesting from mature trees. It also earns service revenues for packing and processing fruit for both our Blueberries segment, as well as for third-party producers of other crops. Operations are principally located in Peru, with smaller operations emerging in other areas of Latin America.
• Blueberries. The Blueberries segment represents the results of Moruga, subsequent to its consolidation on May 1, 2022. Moruga’s farming activities include cultivating early-stage blueberry plantings and harvesting mature bushes. Substantially all blueberries produced are sold to a single distributor under an exclusive marketing agreement.

Consolidation of VIE

On May 1, 2022, a reconsideration event occurred related to Moruga S.A.C., a holding company with one wholly owned subsidiary, Blueberries Peru, S.A.C. (collectively referred to as “Moruga”), an entity for which we have a 60% equity ownership interest. Moruga was previously accounted for under the equity method of accounting, where investments are stated at initial cost and adjusted for subsequent additional investments and our proportionate share of earnings or losses and distributions. As a result of the reconsideration event, we concluded that Moruga is a variable interest entity (“VIE”), and that the Company is the primary beneficiary with a controlling financial interest. Based on this conclusion, Moruga was prospectively consolidated on May 1, 2022. For more details on Moruga, refer to Note 3 to the financial statements in this annual report.

Supply chain optimization

In November 2024, the Company announced plans to close its Canadian distribution centers within its Marketing & Distribution segment. Operations at these distribution centers will continue until their planned closure during the first quarter of fiscal 2025. Distribution volume from these facilities will be absorbed by our other distribution centers or third-party service providers, which is expected to generate net cost savings on an ongoing basis. In connection with the closure, we expect to recognize approximately $1.3 million of accelerated depreciation of property, plant and equipment and $0.4 million of accelerated lease expense during the first quarter of 2025. Severance costs are expected to be immaterial.

Results of Operations

The operating results of our businesses are significantly impacted by the price and volume of fruit we farm, source and distribute. In addition, our results have been, and will continue to be, affected by quarterly and annual fluctuations due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: pests and disease; weather patterns; changes in demand by consumers; food safety advisories; the timing of the receipt, reduction or cancellation of significant customer orders; the gain or loss of significant customers;

the availability, quality and price of raw materials; the utilization of capacity at our various locations; and general economic conditions.

Our financial reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. The functional currency of our most significant subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar and the majority of our sales are denominated in U.S. dollars. A significant portion of our purchases of avocados are denominated in the Mexican Peso and a significant portion of our growing and harvesting costs are denominated in Peruvian Soles. Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and these local currencies usually do not have a significant impact on our gross margin because the impact affects our pricing by comparable amounts. Our margin exposure to exchange rate fluctuations is short-term in nature, as our sales price commitments are generally limited to less than one month and orders can primarily be serviced with procured inventory. Over longer periods of time, we believe that the impact exchange rate fluctuations will have on our cost of goods sold will largely be passed on to our customers in the form of higher or lower prices.

(In millions, except percentages)

Net sales

Our net sales are generated predominantly from the shipment of fresh avocados to retail, wholesale and foodservice customers worldwide. Our net sales are affected by numerous factors, including the balance between the supply of and demand for our produce and competition from other fresh produce companies. Our net sales are also dependent on our ability to supply a consistent volume and quality of fresh produce to the markets we serve.

(In millions)

Net sales increased $280.8 million or 29% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, primarily driven by our Marketing & Distribution segment, where average per-unit avocado sales prices increased 30% and avocado volume sold was relatively flat. Blueberry revenue increased $23.3 million or 44%, due primarily to a 37% increase in average per-unit sales price, which was favorably impacted by industry supply constraints during the Peru harvest season.

Net sales decreased $92.0 million or 9% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, primarily due to a 24.0% decrease in average per-unit avocado sales prices, partially offset by increases in avocado volume sold of 12.0%. Price decreases and higher avocado volume sold were driven by higher industry supply out of Mexico in 2023 as compared to limited supply out of

Mexico in the previous year. Net sales were favorably affected by the full-year impact of consolidating revenue from our Blueberries segment.

Gross profit

Cost of sales is composed primarily of avocado procurement costs from independent growers and packers, logistics costs, packaging costs, labor, costs associated with cultivation (the cost of growing crops), harvesting and depreciation. Avocado procurement costs from third-party suppliers can vary significantly between and within fiscal years and correlate closely with market prices for avocados. While we have long-standing relationships with our growers and packers, we predominantly purchase fruit on a daily basis at market rates. As such, the cost to procure products from independent growers can have a significant impact on our costs.

Logistics costs include land and sea transportation and expenses related to port facilities and distribution centers. Land transportation costs consist primarily of third-party trucking services to support North American distribution, while sea transportation cost consists primarily of third-party shipping of refrigerated containers from supply markets in South and Central America to demand markets in North America, Europe and Asia. Fuel prices as well as variations in containerboard prices, which affect the cost of boxes and other packaging materials, impact our product cost and our profit margins. Variations in production yields and other input costs also affect our cost of sales.

In general, changes in our volume of products sold can have a disproportionate effect on our gross profit. Within any particular year, a significant portion of our cost of products are fixed. Accordingly, higher volumes produced on company-owned farms directly reduce the average cost per pound of fruit grown on company owned orchards, while lower volumes directly increase the average cost per pound of fruit grown on company owned orchards. Likewise, higher volumes processed through packing and distribution facilities directly reduce the average overhead cost per unit of fruit handled, while lower volumes directly increase the average overhead cost per unit of fruit handled.

Gross profit percentage will fluctuate based upon per-unit sales price levels in relation to per-unit costs. Margin is primarily managed on a per-unit basis in our Marketing & Distribution segment, which can lead to movement in gross profit percentage when sales prices fluctuate.

Gross profit increased $69.2 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year to $152.5 million, and gross profit percentage increased by 370 basis points to 12.4% of net sales. The increases were attributed to our Marketing & Distribution segment, where we achieved strong per-unit margins on avocados sold, and our Blueberries segment, where we benefited from higher per-unit sales pricing.

Gross profit decreased $6.5 million in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year to $83.3 million, and gross profit percentage increased by 10 basis points to 8.7% of net sales. The decrease in gross profit was concentrated in our International Farming segment and driven by lower pricing on avocados sold from Company-owned farms. Lower pricing conditions were driven by higher worldwide supply of avocados, driven by a stronger Mexican crop, combined with quality issues and a compressed Peruvian harvest season brought about by El Niño-related weather events. Gross profit percentage remained flat as higher volume of avocados sold and improved per-unit margin at lower average sales prices in our Marketing & Distribution segment and higher volume of blueberries sold by Blueberries segment largely offset the negative impact from our International Farming segment.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses primarily include the costs associated with selling, professional fees, general corporate overhead and other related administrative functions.

(In millions)

SG&A expenses increased $10.4 million or 14% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, primarily due to higher employee related costs, including performance-based incentive compensation, stock-based compensation expense and statutory profit-sharing expense. Higher performance-based incentive compensation is largely explained by the Company’s improved operating performance relative to the prior year. These increases were partially offset by lower professional fees and lower amortization of an intangible asset.

SG&A expenses decreased $1.1 million or 1% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, primarily due to lower ERP and insurance costs. The reduction in ERP expense was concentrated in non-recurring process reengineering costs, while reduced insurance expense was attributed to lower rates on directors and officers liability coverage. These reductions were partially offset by an increase of approximately $2.4 million of expenses from the Blueberries segment, a large portion of which was attributed to amortization of an intangible asset recognized in the business combination.

Goodwill impairment

No goodwill impairment was recognized in fiscal years 2024 or 2023. A noncash impairment loss of $49.5 million was recognized in the consolidated statements of income (loss) during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. For more information, refer to Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements.

Interest expense

Interest expense consists primarily of interest on borrowings under working capital facilities that we maintain and interest on other long-term debt used to make capital and equity investments. We also incur interest expense on finance leases, computed using each lease’s explicit or implicit borrowing rate.

(In millions)

Interest expense increased $1.0 million or 9% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year. The impact of higher interest rates was largely offset by lower average debt balances. Interest expense at our Blueberries segment increased $0.7 million or 32% to $2.9 million, primarily related to a significant financing lease, where additional area was leased during the year.

Interest expense increased $6.1 million or 111% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, primarily due to the effect of rising interest rates on our credit facility, which is subject to variable rates, as well as higher average outstanding debt balances. Additionally, the Blueberries segment incurred interest expense of $2.2 million related to a long-term finance lease of land as well as short-term bank borrowings and financed payables.

Equity method income

Our material equity method investees include Henry Avocado (“HAC”), Mr. Avocado, Copaltas, and up until May 1, 2022, Moruga. On May 1, 2022, Moruga became a variable interest entity and prospectively consolidated into our financial statements.

(In millions)

Equity method income decreased $0.3 million or 8% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, as losses at Mr. Avocado were only partially offset by income growth from HAC.

Equity method income decreased $1.1 million or 22% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, primarily due to lower income from HAC, driven by inflationary pressure on SG&A expense.

Other income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net consists of interest income, currency exchange gains or losses, interest rate derivative gains or losses and other miscellaneous income and expense items.

(In millions)

Other income was $3.6 million in fiscal year 2024, compared to other expense of $0.2 million in the previous year. The change was primarily attributed to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to the Mexican peso, generating foreign currency gains in the current year compared to losses in the prior year.

Other expense was $0.2 million in fiscal year 2023, compared to other income of $4.4 million in the previous year. Expense in fiscal year 2023 is primarily attributed to foreign currency transaction losses primarily due to the weakening of the U.S. dollar relative to the Mexican peso. In 2022, gains were generated on interest rate swaps as a result of rising interest rates during the period.

Provision for income taxes

The provision for income taxes consists of the consolidation of tax provisions, computed on a separate entity basis, in each country in which we have operations. We recognize the effects of tax legislation in the period in which the law is enacted. Our deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years we estimate the related temporary differences to reverse. Realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon future earnings, the timing and amount of which are uncertain.

We recognize a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized within provision for income taxes.

Our effective tax rate is impacted by income attributable to foreign jurisdictions which is taxed at different rates from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21%, changes in foreign exchange rates taxable in foreign jurisdictions and nondeductible tax items.

(1) May not recalculate due to rounding.

The provision for income tax increased $16.4 million or 745% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, primarily due to the effect of higher income before taxes in the current year. Our effective tax rate was impacted by book gains in jurisdictions with higher tax rates than the U.S. statutory rate combined with losses in jurisdictions where either a full valuation allowance has been recorded or where loss carryforward is disallowed in both years.

The provision for income tax decreased $1.5 million or 41% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year. Fiscal 2023 was impacted by a $1.7 million charge related to a statutory case in Mexico and $0.5 million in changes in unrecognized tax benefits. These charges were partially offset by a favorable change in ASC 740-30 (formerly APB 23) liability of $1.6 million.

Segment Results of Operations

Our CEO evaluates and monitors segment performance primarily through segment sales and segment adjusted earnings before interest expense, income taxes and depreciation and amortization (“adjusted EBITDA”). We believe that adjusted EBITDA by segment provides useful information for analyzing the underlying business results as well as allowing investors a means to evaluate the financial results of each reportable segment in relation to the Company as a whole. These measures are not in accordance with, nor are they a substitute for or superior to, the comparable GAAP financial measures.

Adjusted EBITDA refers to net income (loss), before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, stock-based compensation expense, other income (expense), and income (loss) from equity method investees, further adjusted by asset impairment and disposals, net of insurance recoveries, farming costs for nonproductive orchards (which represents land lease costs), certain noncash and nonrecurring ERP costs, transaction costs, material legal settlements, amortization of inventory adjustments recognized from business combinations, and any special, non-recurring, or one-time items such as remeasurements or impairments, and any portion of these items attributable to the noncontrolling interest, all of which are excluded from the results the CEO reviews uses to assess segment performance and results. Effective for the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company made a change in presentation of its reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to its comparable GAAP financial measure to include a subtotal of the non-GAAP adjustments before the effect of the noncontrolling interest adjustment called “adjusted EBITDA before adjustment for noncontrolling interest.” The presentation change has no impact to total adjusted EBITDA. We believe the addition of the subtotal within the reconciliation is useful because it better aligns with management’s sequence of review of the information in the reconciliation.

Net sales

(In millions)

(1) The Blueberries segment was consolidated prospectively from May 1, 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA

(In millions)

(1) Includes interest expense from finance leases, the most significant of which is for nonproductive land at our Blueberries segment of $1.8 million and $1.4 million for the years ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

(2) Includes depreciation and amortization of purchase accounting assets of $3.7 million, $2.4 million and $1.4 million for the years ended October 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Includes amortization of finance leases, the most significant of which is for nonproductive land at our Blueberries segment of $0.7 million and $0.6 million for the years ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The year ended October 31, 2024 included $4.1 million of accelerated depreciation expense recognized during the first quarter, for certain blueberry plants determined to have no remaining useful life.

(3) Includes recognition of deferred implementation costs in all years. The year ended October 31, 2022 also includes post-implementation process reengineering costs.

(4) Represents net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest plus the impact of non-GAAP adjustments, allocable to the noncontrolling owner based on their percentage of ownership interest.

Marketing & Distribution

Net sales in our Marketing & Distribution segment increased $262.7 million or 30% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, driven by avocado pricing increases as described above.

Segment adjusted EBITDA increased $45.0 million or 112% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, due to improved per-unit gross margin on avocados sold.

Net sales in our Marketing & Distribution segment decreased $126.2 million or 12% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, driven by pricing and volume dynamics described above, which were driven by higher industry supply out of Mexico relative to last year.

Segment adjusted EBITDA increased $16.6 million or 71% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, due to higher gross margin from higher avocado volume sold and improved avocado per-unit margins.

International Farming

The vast majority of fruit sales from our International Farming segment are made to the Marketing & Distribution segment, with the remainder of revenue largely derived from services provided to third parties and our Blueberries segment. Affiliated sales are concentrated in the second half of the fiscal year in alignment with the Peruvian avocado harvest season, which typically runs from April through September of each year. As a result, adjusted EBITDA for the International Farming segment is generally concentrated in the third and fourth quarters of the fiscal year in alignment with the timing of sales. In addition, the Company operates approximately 700 acres of mangos in Peru. The timing of the mango harvest is generally concentrated in the fiscal second quarter.

Total segment sales in our International Farming segment decreased $25.3 million or 28% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, due to lower volumes of owned avocados sold partially offset by higher average sales prices. The volume and pricing dynamics were directly impacted by the reduced 2024 harvest yields in Peru resulting from warmer temperatures correlated with El Niño conditions during crop development.

Segment adjusted EBITDA increased $1.5 million or 48% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year as higher sales prices and cost savings measures in our avocado and mango farms, packing operations and SG&A in Peru offset the adverse impact of lower harvest yields on fixed cost absorption.

Total segment sales in our International Farming segment decreased $24.5 million or 21% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, primarily due to lower pricing on avocados sold from company-owned farms. Lower pricing conditions were driven by higher worldwide supply of avocados, driven by a stronger Mexican crop, combined with quality issues and a compressed Peruvian harvest season brought about by El Niño-related weather events.

Segment adjusted EBITDA decreased $20.2 million or 87% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, primarily due to lower gross profit resulting from lower pricing.

Blueberries

Sales in the Blueberries segment have traditionally been concentrated in the first and fourth quarters of the fiscal year in alignment with the Peruvian blueberry harvest season, which typically runs from July through February.

Net sales in our Blueberries segment increased $23.3 million or 44.5% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, primarily due to a 37% increase in average per-unit sales price and a 6% increase in volume sold. Pricing was favorably impacted by industry supply constraints during the Peru harvest season.

Segment adjusted EBITDA increased $12.9 million or 248% in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, primarily due to gross margin improvement driven by elevated sales pricing.

In fiscal year 2023, net sales in our Blueberries segment were $52.4 million and segment adjusted EBITDA was $5.2 million. The segment performance benefited from higher volumes associated with the consolidation of our Blueberries segment for the entirety of the fiscal year.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Operating activities

(In millions)

Net cash provided by operating activities increased $64.2 million for 2024 compared to the previous year. The change was driven by improved operating performance and working capital management. Within working capital, favorable changes in accounts payable and accrued expenses and grower payables were partially offset by unfavorable changes in inventory, accounts receivable and other receivables. Higher avocado pricing drove increases in inventory, accounts receivable and grower payable balances, while higher incentive compensation and statutory profit-sharing accruals resulted in higher accrued expenses. At our International Farming segment, the earlier completion of the avocado season compared to the prior year correlated with higher accounts payable and accrued expenses. In our Blueberries segment, the impact of higher volume and increased acreage drove higher accounts payable and accrued expenses, correlated and offset by inventory balances at year end.

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $6.0 million for 2023 compared to the previous year. The change was driven by weaker operating performance within our International Farming segment and working capital growth. Within working capital, unfavorable changes in accounts receivable and accounts payable and accrued expenses were largely offset by favorable changes in inventory and other receivables. Trade accounts receivable were impacted by higher avocado sales prices as well as higher blueberry volumes and pricing, the former of which includes balances outstanding at our new U.K. entity which commenced operations this fiscal year. At our International Farming segment, the earlier completion of the avocado season compared to prior year correlated with unfavorable changes in accounts payable and accrued expenses and conversely, favorable changes in on-hand inventory of company owned fruit and reductions in other assets from accelerated VAT refunds.

Investing activities

(In millions)

28

Property, plant and equipment

(In millions)

(1) The Blueberries segment was consolidated prospectively from May 1, 2022.

In fiscal year 2024, capital expenditures were comprised primarily of avocado orchard development, pre-production orchard maintenance and land improvements in Guatemala; pre-production avocado orchard maintenance, blueberry land development and plant cultivation and blueberry cooling facility construction costs in Peru; and distribution facility construction costs in the UK. Our International Farming segment also began construction of a packhouse in Guatemala during the year.

In fiscal year 2023, capital expenditures were concentrated in pre-production avocado orchard maintenance in Guatemala and Peru and construction costs on our new UK distribution facility. Capital expenditures in the Blueberries operation were primarily related to irrigation installation and early-stage plant cultivation.

Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment were primarily from land that had been originally intended for use as our corporate headquarters.

Other investing activities

In all fiscal years presented, we made contributions to Copaltas and Mr. Avocado. Funds were used by Copaltas for the purchase and development of farmland in Colombia. Funds were used by Mr. Avocado to support working capital needs and an investment in a new distribution facility in southern China.

During fiscal year 2023, we acquired a 5.1% equity interest in shares of common stock of a private entity that is developing avocado orchards in South Africa.

Financing activities

(In millions)

Borrowings and repayments of debt

We utilize a revolving line of credit for short-term working capital purposes. Principal payments on our credit facility are made in accordance with debt maturity schedules.

Blueberries

Financing of our Blueberries segment consists of shareholder contributions and loans, as well as short-term bank borrowings, as needed. Principal payments on shareholder loans are made in accordance with loan agreements. Principal payments on finance lease obligations primarily relate to a long-term land lease, which for accounting purposes has been classified as a finance lease. Certain supply purchases are made under long-term financing arrangements, a significant portion of which are with the noncontrolling interest holder of the entity.

Purchase and retirement of common stock

Shares of the company’s common stock may be repurchased from time to time in the open market or privately negotiated transactions under our share repurchase program. Refer to Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements for more information.

Capital resources

(In millions)

(1) Includes cash and cash equivalents

Capital resources include cash flows from operations, cash and cash equivalents, and debt financing. Our Blueberries segment may from time to time also receive capital contributions or loans from shareholders.

Our syndicated credit facility with Bank of America has a total borrowing capacity of $250 million. The credit facility is comprised of two senior term loans totaling $100 million and a revolving credit agreement of $150 million. The loans are secured by assets of the Company, including certain real property, personal property and capital stock of the Company’s subsidiaries. Borrowings under the credit facility bear interest at a spread over SOFR ranging from 1.5% to 2.5% depending on the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio. We pay fees on unused commitments on the credit facility.

As of October 31, 2024, we were required to comply with the following financial covenants: (a) a quarterly consolidated leverage ratio of not more than 3.5 to 1.00 and (b) a quarterly consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.25 to 1.00. As of October 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all such covenants of the credit facility.

Material cash requirements

Capital expenditures

We have various capital projects in progress for farming expansion and facility improvements which we intend to fund through our operating cash flow as well as cash and cash equivalents on hand. Capital expenditures were lower than expected for fiscal 2024 by approximately $10 million due to the timing of vendor payments associated with packhouse construction in Guatemala and blueberry plant development in Peru, both of which will carryover into fiscal 2025. For fiscal 2025, we expect total capital expenditures inclusive of the 2024 carryover to be between $50 to $55 million. The spend will be allocated primarily to our International Farming and Blueberries segments. Within our International Farming segment, spend will be concentrated in Guatemala for pre-production avocado orchard maintenance and packhouse construction. Within our Blueberries segment, spend will be concentrated on land development and plant cultivation in Peru.

Leases

We are party to various leases, the most material of which are for facilities and land. Our undiscounted cash liabilities were approximately $177.3 million as of October 31, 2024, of which, approximately $107.4 million was for long-term land leases in our International Farming and Blueberries segments. Also included is an estimate of approximately $4.3 million for undelivered equipment leases on order.

Long-term debt

As of October 31, 2024, remaining maturities on our term loans and notes were $113.7 million. See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for more information.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Additionally, we frequently engage third party valuation experts to assist us with estimates described below. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Goodwill. Our goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of business combinations over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill impairment testing requires significant judgment and management estimates, including, but not limited to, the determination of (i) the number of reporting units, (ii) the goodwill and other assets and liabilities to be allocated to the reporting units and (iii) the fair values of the reporting units. The estimates and assumptions described above, along with other factors such as forecasts of future revenues; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA); the discount rate; and marketplace EBITDA multiples form within a peer public company group, will significantly affect the outcome of the impairment tests and the amounts of any resulting impairment losses. We may use either a qualitative or quantitative approach when testing a reporting unit’s goodwill for impairment on an annual basis during the fourth quarter of each year, and between annual tests whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If we use a qualitative approach and determine that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we would then perform the first step of the goodwill impairment test, which would consist primarily of a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) analysis and guideline publicly-traded companies (“GPC”) analysis to determine the fair value of the reporting unit.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, we performed our annual goodwill impairment test on our Peruvian farming reporting unit within the International Farming segment and determined that the qualitative factors indicated that it was more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit was less than its carrying value. As a result, with the assistance of a third-party specialist, we performed a quantitative assessment of the fair value of the reporting unit using the DCF and GPC methods, resulting in an impairment charge of $49.5 million. The significant assumptions used in determining the fair values of the reporting unit have been described in Note 4. To the extent that BEV to EBITDA multiples in the future decrease, the discount rate used in determining the present value of our cash flows increases, or if the Company does not meet its cash flow projections for the reporting unit, additional impairment charges may be recorded in the future.

Investments. We maintain investments in other fruit growers, packers and distributors. These investments are accounted for under the equity method of accounting when we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investee. Significant influence generally exists when we have an ownership interest representing between 20% and 50% of the voting stock of the investee. Under the equity method of accounting, investments are stated at initial cost and are adjusted for subsequent additional investments and our proportionate share of earnings or losses and distributions. We review our investments for other-than temporary-impairment (“OTTI”) on a quarterly basis, or earlier if indicators of impairment arise. If an impairment of an equity method investment is determined to be other than temporary, we would record OTTI sufficient to reduce the investment’s carrying value to its fair value, which results in a new cost basis in the investment. The primary factors we consider in our determination of whether declines in fair value are other-than-temporary are the length of time that the fair value of the investment is below our carrying value; the severity of the decline; and the financial condition, operating performance and near-term prospects of the investee. In addition, we consider the reason for the decline in fair value, be it general market conditions, industry specific or investee specific; and our intent and ability to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for a recovery in fair value. As our assessment of the fair value of our investments and any resulting impairment losses and the timing of when to recognize such charges requires judgment and includes estimates and assumptions, actual results could differ materially from our estimates and assumptions.

Income taxes. As a multinational corporation, we are subject to taxation in many jurisdictions, and the calculation of our tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations in various taxing jurisdictions. If we ultimately determine that the payment of these liabilities will be unnecessary, the liability will be reversed, and we will recognize a tax benefit during the period in which it is determined the liability no longer applies. Conversely, we record additional tax charges in a period in which it is determined that a recorded tax liability is less than the ultimate assessment is expected to be.

We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized within provision for income taxes.

The application of tax laws and regulations is subject to legal and factual interpretation, judgment and uncertainty. Tax laws and regulations themselves are subject to change as a result of changes in fiscal policy, changes in legislation, the evolution of regulations and court rulings. Therefore, the actual liability for U.S. or foreign taxes may be materially different from management’s estimates, which could result in the need to record additional tax liabilities or potentially reverse previously recorded tax liabilities.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Refer to Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included herein for information on recently issued accounting standards.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

During the periods presented we did not have, nor do we currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined under SEC rules, except as follows:

The Company may issue standby letters of credit through banking institutions. As of October 31, 2024, none were outstanding and as of October 31, 2023, $0.7 million were outstanding.

Interest Rate Risk

Borrowings under our credit facility bear variable interest rates, based on SOFR, plus spreads that vary with the Company’s leverage ratio. A 10% increase or decrease in the interest rate on our long-term debt would not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Foreign Currency Risk

The majority of our sales are currently conducted in U.S. dollars, while a significant portion of our input costs are denominated in foreign currencies. Due to our short inventory turn-time and short-term pricing, transactions that may be conducted in foreign currencies are not expected to have a material effect on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows because of the short-term on-hand time of the fruit, and the sales price increases passed through.

Effects of Inflation

Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor, materials, transportation, and general overhead costs. We cannot reasonably estimate our ability to successfully recover any impact of inflation through price increases in the future.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation and supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost‑benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of October 31, 2024.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework set forth in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of October 31, 2024.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2024 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in its report which is included below.

Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

The attestation report of the independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is included below under the heading “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the year ended October 31, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

Our management does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our Company have been detected.