Rabobank International

Corporate Banking

Rabobank International's U.S. operation ("RI US") is a major component of the Rabobank global network. Inaugurated in 1980, Rabobank's U.S. presence has grown rapidly to meet client demand. We now maintain offices in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco. Our goal is to be the premier Food & Agribusiness financial institution in the United States. We pursue this aim by leveraging our specialized knowledge to deliver sophisticated, mutually profitable, and value-adding financial solutions that directly address the customer's specific needs.

The Corporate Banking Department in RI US has adopted a sector specialization strategy which focuses on the food and agribusiness sectors where we can achieve broad penetration and leverage off of the unique experience and abilities of our staff. The following chart details the current sectors and sector heads. All other food and agribusiness sectors are covered on a geographic basis by our offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco.

FINANCIAL SPONSORS GROUP
The Financial Sponsors Group develops and maintains relationships with financial investors (equity and mezzanine) to capitalize on investment opportunities in the food, beverage and agricultural sectors. The bank views financial sponsors as a separate important client base, and FSG actively generates acquisition (or divestiture) ideas for these clients in combination with providing the financing. When a transaction starts to materialize, FSG combines all of the bank's resources (industry knowledge, capital markets and credit) in order to execute the transaction as smoothly as possible.

CORPORATE BANKING PRODUCTS

Corporate Lending
We offer a wide range of credit products, including revolving credit lines, term loans, credit enhancement, standby letters of credit, and foreign exchange facilities. We also arrange working capital lines, long-term debt, acquisition finance, bridge financing, structured and syndicated facilities.

Trade Finance
Rabobank offers a full range of solid operating trade services to facilitate the movement of goods. These include automated letter of credit systems and documentary collection services.

Commodity Finance
Rabobank is considered to be an industry leader in the financing of trade flows for such agricultural commodities as grain, cotton, coffee, sugar, cocoa, seafood, rubber, dairy, and food products. In addition to short- and medium-term credit facilities which cover both working capital needs and ongoing exchange-related hedge requirements, we offer a full range of trade services and commodity price-risk management tools. Our commodity trade finance specialists actively counsel US exporters and importers as well as their foreign counterparts.

Structured Trade Finance
Rabobank's Structured Trade Commodity Finance group provides highly-structured short, medium and long term export and cross-border financing solutions for our clients' export financing needs. Rabobank has expert knowledge of major official export credit agencies (ECAs) and foreign investment agencies. Our products and services include:

• Short term buyer and supplier credits, utilizing letters of credit, promissory notes, avalized drafts and various structured solutions.
  
• Discounting of export receivables, both insured and uninsured, with and without recourse to the seller.
  
• Financial advisory services to importers, exporters, and/or project participants on transactions involving export and/or U.S. foreign investment utilizing support from export credit agencies and foreign investment agencies.
  
• Coordinating and arranging multi-tranche, multi-source export financing involving ECAs.
  
• Arranging buyer and supplier credits supported by the ECAs.
  
• Arranging down payment financing linked to ECA-backed financings.
  
• Arranging down payment financing linked to ECA-backed financings.
  

In addition to financing exports, STCF also works with our clients in North America to finance inventory, both in warehouses and afloat, utilizing derivative-based solutions.

Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR)
FAR, which was established in 1996, is an integral component of Rabobank's global business network. Given the bank's emphasis on maintaining an exceptional in-house knowledge base, Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory focuses exclusively on the ways in which available business information and research can be best utilized to deliver value directly to our customers. It is this global emphasis on knowledge management that underpins Rabobank's position as one of the world's leading financial institutions in the food and agribusiness field.

Our North American Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory team supports our clients and business development by:

• Providing industry research, market data, and analysis
  
• Developing presentations to partners in industry
  
• Offering industry-specific consulting services
  
• Linking Rabobank's North American food and agribusiness clients to the broader global network
  
• Conducting research on subjects of strategic interest to North American customers
  
  

NORTH AMERICAN AGRIBUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD
We have formed a North American Agribusiness Advisory Board, composed of leaders from the industry (Food and Agribusiness), academic and research institutions, who provide important guidance on industrial and political developments.