St. Louis, Missouri
November 2,  2001

Expanded database at www.ncga.com provides growers one stop shop to investigate domestic and export markets for high value and biotech corn hybrids available for 2002

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has announced an expanded database available on its website, http://www.ncga.com/biotechnology/know--where/know--grow--approved.htm, that
catalogues most of the nation's seed company's biotech and high-value corn hybrids.

The database is part of the Know Before You Grow(SM) program, which provides the nation's corn growers information about the marketing implications of planting hybrids not-yet-approved for export to certain markets. Since its inception, Know Before You Grow has expanded its scope from biotechnology to also promote the consideration and marketing opportunities of high-value hybrids.

"The Know Before You Grow initiative is intended to provide corn growers a source of information about hybrids as they make their purchasing and planting decisions for 2002," said Leon Corzine, Assumption, Ill., farmer and chairman of the NCGA Biotech Working Group.

Corzine said the NCGA invited seed companies to provide information on their 2002 products in order to give growers the most comprehensive database possible. "Nearly 95 percent of the corn market is represented in the 2002 Know Before You Grow database," he said.

"The Know Before You Grow program is another example of how the entire corn industry can work together," he concluded. "From universities to seed companies to processors to growers, we all must play an active role in ensuring the U.S. market delivers value and opportunity to everyone involved."

For the 2001 harvest season, NCGA has also updated its Processor Marketing Plans table, which enables growers to "Know Where to Go" with their harvested corn. That table is available at the NCGA web site:
http://www.ncga.com/biotechnology/know--where/know--grow--positions--chart.html.

For more information about the National Corn Growers Association and the Know Before You Grow program, visit www.ncga.com.

The National Corn Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance corn's profitability and usage. NCGA represents more than 32,000 members, 25 affiliated state corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute to state checkoff programs.

NCGA news release
N3932