PRESS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
1303 SW First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040
VOICE (785) 271-2700, FAX (785) 271-2708, TTY (785) 271-2767, WEB www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks

For Immediate Release- December 4, 2002

Contact- Harold Alford (785) 271-2702

Senator Brownback Tours New Cotton Gin Near Moscow

December 4, 2002 - Moscow, KS. U.S. Senator Sam Brownback toured the new Northwest Cotton Growers Co-op cotton gin located near Moscow. USDA Rural Development State Director Chuck Banks joined Senator Brownback on the tour. USDA Rural Development is providing a Guaranteed Business & Industry Loan for the project. Security Savings Bank of Garden City also joined USDA Rural Development in completing the financial package for the Co-op.

The new Northwest Cotton Growers Co-op gin will process production from approximately 25,000 acres for this crop year. Cotton acres are expected to increase significantly with the completion of the gin. The $3.35 million project has created 22 new jobs for the area.

"I am very impressed with this value-added agricultural enterprise. It is economic development programs like these offered by USDA Rural Development that offer our Kansas farm producers and rural communities the opportunity to improve their economic position", Senator Brownback told the community leaders who also attended the tour.

Rural Development State Director Banks commented, " USDA Rural Development is very pleased to be a partner in this value-added project. Rural Development administers many programs which provide excellent economic development opportunities for rural Kansas. Creating commerce and jobs in our rural communities is key to improving the economic prosperity and quality of life of Kansas".

For additional economic development information, you may log onto the Kansas Rural Development website at: www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks, or e-mail the Agency at 2002farmbillRD@ks.usda.gov