FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2006

CONTACT: Becky Grisham, Missouri Corn Growers Association, (573) 893-4181

CORN GROWERS BUOYED BY CONTINUED SUCCESS
Long Overdue River Upgrade Allows Greater Market Access for Farmers

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) -- Riding on the waves of an aggressive federal Renewable Fuels Standard, the successful passage of the Missouri Renewable Fuel Standard and the Environmental Protection Agency’s re-registration of atrazine, corn growers now have more good news to celebrate. Yesterday’s Senate passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) marks the latest victory in a string of successes being touted by the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA).

“The Senate’s passage of WRDA culminates a decade of hard work and determination by our nation’s farmers and legislators,” says MCGA Chief Executive Officer Gary Marshall. “This significant step will ensure the ability for U.S. producers to remain competitive with other parts of the world.”

The legislation takes historical action in improving the outdated and deteriorating locks and dams on the Mississippi River. The modernization of the river system will help speed barge traffic thanks to the construction of seven new locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, marking the most extensive U.S. inland waterway project in history.

“With 60 percent of our nation’s grain exports floating on the Mississippi River, this long overdue modernization of the river system maintains one of the most critical outlets for corn farmers in Missouri and nationwide,” Marshall said. “We know that other countries have stepped up their efforts to improve their internal transportation systems. In order to be a player in the world market, the U.S. needs to do the same thing.”

“We owe a debt a gratitude to U.S. Senator Kit Bond for never losing sight of the need for Missouri farmers to have access to the global marketplace,” Marshall continues. “The river system is key not only to exports, but also to moving fuel, fertilizer and a multitude of other products north from the Gulf Coast states. The entire transportation system is interrelated. Up to now, the locks and dams on the Mississippi River have been a weak link.”

WRDA authorizes $1.8 billion for five locks on the Mississippi River and two on the Illinois River. The locks provision sailed through the Senate on a voice vote. The U.S. House of Representatives approved its own version of WRDA legislation in July 2005. The bill now goes to a House-Senate conference committee before returning to Congress for finalization of funding.