June 5, 2001 -- The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) will field a joint mission to Europe this week to assess the status of the biotechnology debate there, to
convey the U.S. corn industry's views about agricultural biotechnology and to develop a biotechnology plan of action for the U.S. feedgrains industry.

Three farmers and three NCGA-USGC staff members will visit Brussels, Rotterdam, Geneva and Paris to meet with corn co-product
importers, European Commission officials, World Trade Organization ambassadors, European news media, consumer groups and leaders of the French
corn growers association (Association Generale des Producteurs de Mais), among others.

Participating in the mission are:

• Lee Klein, NCGA president and farmer from Battle Creek, NE
  
• Fred Yoder, NCGA Biotechnology Working Group chairman and Plain City, OH, farmer
  
• Leon Corzine, NCGA Biotechnology Working Group member and farmer from Assumption, IL
  
• Rick Tolman, NCGA chief executive officer
  
• David McGuire, USGC director of trade relations and global strategies
  
• Ellen Dougherty, USGC director of communications
  

Yoder expects this trip will open dialog with the European Union (EU)
concerning biotech issues. "We want to find out what their concerns are about
biotech and voice our opinions and meet in the middle," he says.

The discussions will give U.S. corn industry leaders a better understanding of how European policymakers and consumers
approach biotechnology, Yoder says. Of equal importance, it will allow the U.S. delegation to convey its views regarding the safety and benefits of agricultural
biotechnology.

For more information about the NCGA and USGC Web sites.