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Becker Underwood Expands Inoculant Production Capacity

Increasing demand for inoculants for soybeans, peanuts, peas and lentils grown in North America

Ames, Iowa – July 24, 2008 – www.BeckerUnderwood.com announces a significant expansion in the production capacity of its St. Joseph, Missouri, facility to meet the increasing demand for inoculants for soybeans, peanuts, peas and lentils grown in North America.

According to Chris Feiden, manager of the St. Joseph, Missouri plant, Becker Underwood is currently installing new state-of-the-art fermentation units.

“This is a very aggressive project that will nearly triple our production capacity for the 2009 growing season compared to 2008,” Feiden points out. “The expansion is taking place now. We’re targeting January 1, 2009, as our completion date, which will ensure that we’re up and running to produce inoculants for the 2009 growing season.”

Paul Holliday, Business Unit Head – Inoculants, says Becker Underwood is making this investment in anticipation of a continued increase in demand for the company’s biological products.

“While many input costs in agriculture are going through the roof, more growers across the U.S. and Canada have found inoculants to be a low-cost input that offers an outstanding return on investment,” he says.

“This strong ROI, combined with the freshness guarantee of our VAULT® brand soybean inoculants, helped us to a record year in 2008. We’re projecting even greater demand for 2009. The expansion that we’re undertaking will help make sure that we’re in position to meet the needs of the marketplace.”

For more information on inoculants, seed enhancements and the many other products offered by Becker Underwood, please visit the company’s recently redesigned web site: www.BeckerUnderwood.com.