Des Moines, Iowa
December 20, 2002

Growers planting Pioneer(R) brand corn hybrids won 23 of 27 categories in the 2002 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest with one grower breaking his own record- setting yield of last year.

Farmers growing Pioneer hybrids finished in first-place in all nine national classes. Among second-place winners, those growing Pioneer hybrids won seven categories and, among third-place winners, growers planting Pioneer hybrids won seven of nine categories.

The highest yield within the contest was Francis Childs of Manchester, Iowa, who planted Pioneer brand 34N44 with a yield of 442.14 bushels per acre. Winning in the national AA non-irrigated class, Childs' entry was a Pioneer hybrid containing the YieldGard1 gene for resistance to European corn borer. Childs made NCGA contest history last year as the first grower to win with a yield clearing the 400-bushel-an-acre hurdle. He won first place in 2001 with Pioneer brand 34M95 with a yield of 408.22
bushels per acre. This year marks the sixth consecutive time Childs has finished first in the NCGA yield contest.

"We're excited to see the continued success growers have with Pioneer products in this contest," says Bill Fleet, Pioneer vice president for North American sales. "And we once again want to congratulate Iowa grower Francis Childs, who continues to achieve top yield levels and break contest records, year after year, using well-planned production practices."

The NCGA Corn Yield Contest is an annual national competition among corn growers with the goal of producing the highest yields. Growers compete in nine corn production classes, including conventional, no-till/strip-till non- irrigated, no-till/strip-till irrigated, ridge-till non-irrigated, ridge-till irrigated and irrigated classes.

For more information about Pioneer corn hybrids grown by contest winners and the broad range of top-producing Pioneer products, growers should contact their local Pioneer sales representative.

For a list of the national winners, yield totals and hybrid numbers, go to
www.pioneer.com/pioneer--news/press--releases/products/ncga--national--results.htm 

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont, is the world's leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics, crop protection solutions and quality crop systems to customers in nearly 70 countries. During 2002, DuPont is celebrating its 200th year of scientific achievement and innovation -- providing products and services that improve the
lives of people everywhere. Based in Wilmington, Del., DuPont delivers science-based solutions for markets that make a difference in people's lives in the areas of food and nutrition, health care, apparel, home and construction, electronics and transportation.

Pioneer(R) brand is a registered trademark of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
(1) Registered trademark of Monsanto Company