FORM 8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549


Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)  April 9, 2001.


                             HIGH PLAINS CORPORATION

             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Kansas                                                               #1-8680
(State or other jurisdiction of                             (Commission File
incorporation)                                                       Number)



200 W. Douglas                                                   #48-0901658
Suite #820                                                     (IRS Employer
Wichita, Kansas  67202                                   Identification No.)
(Address of principal
executive offices)


                                 (316) 269-4310
                        (Registrant's telephone number)





Item 5  Other Information

WICHITA, KS,  April 9, 2001 -- High Plains Corporation (Nasdaq:HIPC) today
announced that it has received initial responses from Nebraska regulatory
agencies indicating that permits necessary for the proposed expansion of the
Company's York, Nebraska ethanol facility should be issued by June.  Permit
issuance should allow the project to proceed on, or even ahead of schedule,
with projected completion of the 12 million gallon per year expansion
expected before the end of this calendar year.

"We are pleased with the prompt response by the state of Nebraska to our
permit requests," stated Gary R. Smith, President and CEO of High Plains.
"Industry economics are strong, and there is a need to expand ethanol
production as quickly as possible to keep up with increasing demand.
Nebraska's agencies not only processed our requests in a timely manner, but
have also identified areas of the project that we can pursue now, without
additional permit modifications.  As a result, we expect to see some
production improvements almost immediately, phasing in to the completion of
the full expansion before calendar year end,"  he said.

In addition to this 33 percent production capacity expansion in Nebraska, the
Company also has obtained 2,000,000 gallons of additional production at the
Colwich, Kansas plant, removing bottlenecks to allow more efficient operation
and higher production levels for relatively small costs.

As previously reported, the project to produce glycerol from the Company's
stillage by-product at it's Colwich, Kansas facility has taken a lower
priority than the production expansion projects currently underway.  While
the Company has not abandoned the glycerol project completely, difficulties
in scaling up the initial membrane filtration stage to full production, as
well as decisions on how to allocate available funds for capital
improvements, have placed the project on hold for now, Smith said.

High Plains also reported progress on its previously announced program to buy
back up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) of its outstanding common stock.
Since the announcement of this buy-back in November, and through March 31,
2001, the Company has purchased over 178,800 shares, and spent approximately
$500,000.  Smith commented that, "Our current intention is to continue with
the buy-back program to the full extent authorized by our Board of
Directors."

Smith also updated the status of the pending contract for the sale of the
Company's Portales, New Mexico production facility.  "Prior to March 31, we
entered into an extensive amendment of our pending agreement to sell the
Portales plant.  This amendment sets a final closing deadline of May 31,
2001, and clarifies several issues which had arisen subsequent to the signing
of the initial agreement.  Overall, it makes the agreement much stronger and
further clarifies the rights and obligations of both parties.  The amendment
also helps to assure that the plant can be operated on a continuous basis
after closing, with no break in production.  This is important not only for
the employees of the Portales facility, but also for High Plains, which has
agreed to continue to market the ethanol produced by the facility for a
period of up to five years after closing.  We are placing a high priority on
a seamless transition of ownership, and continuous operation of the plant."

High Plains also announced that it will be releasing its quarterly earnings
on April 16, 2001.  The release will be followed by a conference call with
management to discuss the earnings and other relevant issues affecting the
Company.  To participate in the call, dial 800-280-1337.





Based in Wichita, Kansas, High Plains Corporation is among the nation's
largest producers of ethanol.  The company operates facilities in Colwich,
Kansas, York, Nebraska, and Portales, New Mexico.  Additional information
about the Company can be found at its Web site, www.highplainscorp.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant
to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.  Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties, including without limitation risks of fluctuations
in feedstock commodity prices, changes in the market prices or demand for
motor fuels and Ethanol, legislative changes regarding air quality, fuel
specifications or incentive programs, as well as general market conditions,
competition and pricing.  The Company believes that forward-looking
statements made by it are based upon reasonable expectations.  However, no
assurances can be given that actual results will not differ materially from
those contained in such forward-looking statements.  Additional information
concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities
and Exchange Commission filings, including its annual 10-K, Proxy Statement
and quarterly 10-Q filings, copies of which are available from the Company
without charge.





                                  SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant had duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


Date:     April 9, 2001                     HIGH PLAINS CORPORATION

                                            /s/Gary R. Smith
                                            President & CEO