Ames, Iowa
May 16, 2003

Corn producers have until May 31 to file for a share of a $110 million settlement of a lawsuit against companies that produced and marketed StarLink™ corn.

Settlements already have been reached in lawsuits filed by farmers who grew StarLink™ and by
consumers who might have eaten a contaminated food product. Now settlement of a class action lawsuit has been proposed for farmers who grew non-StarLink™ corn and were harmed either by lower corn prices or because their corn crops, fields, equipment or storage facilities were contaminated by
StarLink™ corn.

Iowa State University economist Roger Ginder said there will be a fixed amount of money to pay claims. The amount individual producers could receive depends on two things -- the number of farmers who apply to be a part of the settlement and the number of corn acres enrolled by those farmers. There is no cost to file a claim and no fees will be charged later.

Ginder said two types of compensation are being offered to producers who did not grow StarLink™
corn. "Farmers who want to make a claim based on the reduction in the general price of corn must do so by May 31. The claims require relatively simple documentation, which is available from the FSA (Farm Service Agency) or crop insurance. Farmers with actual property damages have until July 31 to file a claim, which requires more detailed documentation," he said. The requirements are outlined in the claim forms.

Mailings were made earlier in the year to all known corn producers who might be impacted by this lawsuit. But Ginder noted that producers who are trying to get their 2003 corn crop in the ground may have overlooked the filing deadlines. "Farmers who grew or harvested non-StarLink™ corn during any year since 1998 should evaluate their situations then decide whether or not to file a claim," he said.

Information about the StarLink™ situation, including details of the lawsuit settlement, is available on the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative's Web site at http://www.iowagrain.org.

Unique numbers are assigned to each claim form. This means producers who want to file a claim need to have their own form, rather than copying a form someone else has obtained. Claim forms can be accessed on the Web at http://www.non-starlinkfarmerssettlement.com/. Producers also can call 1-888-833-4317 to request a claim form.

StarLink™ was a type of genetically modified corn that contained an insecticidal protein, known as
Cry9C. The protein enabled the corn to resist various corn pests. StarLink™ corn seed was sold in the
United States between May 1998 and October 2000.

The corn had received federal approval for use in animal feed, but not for human consumption. When traces of StarLink™ began to show up in some food products, both U.S. corn exports and U.S. corn prices declined.