April 24 , 2006

MID AMERICAN AGRI PRODUCTS BREAKS GROUND AT CAMBRIDGE

Press Release

The Nebraska Ethanol Board today congratulated Nebraska-based Mid American Agri Products for breaking ground on a new 44 million gallon per year ethanol plant near Cambridge , NE.

When completed, Mid American Agri Products- Cambridge will process approximately 16 million bushels of corn into ethanol and premium high-protein distillers feeds for cattle.

This new facility will create nearly 40 jobs locally.

“The Mid American Agri Products company is helping to expand ethanol production capacity with the new plant near Cambridge at a time of historic high demand for renewable ethanol ," said Tim Else, chairman of the Nebraska Ethanol Board.  "This additional ethanol capacity in Furnas County will help meet the demand for clean-burning renewable fuels today and in the future,” said Else, a farmer from Thayer County .

"Nebraskans have long understood the importance and value of ethanol production and use.  This new facility will make an important contribution to the local and state economy while providing a local market for corn," said Chairman Else.

"Congratulations to the Mid American Agri Energy Products team on the start of this project and for again choosing Nebraska as a premier location for an ethanol project," added Todd Sneller , Administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board.  "The addition of this project in Nebraska represents an excellent partnership between Nebraska businesses and communities.  The projected capacity of the new plant will move Nebraska toward a ranking as the second largest ethanol producing state," said Sneller.

The Mid American Agri Products- Cambridge plant is the 36h ethanol plant to initiate construction in the U.S. during the past year.

Added to the nine ethanol plants currently undergoing expansion, the U.S. ethanol industry is positioned to add nearly 2.1 billion gallons of additional annual production capacity during the next 24 months.

Currently, 97 ethanol plants are in production with an annual capacity of nearly 4.5 billion gallons.