Press Release

Zions Bank Ranks As Nation's Top Originator of Farmer Mac Agricultural Real Estate Loans Sold for 4th Consecutive Year

SALT LAKE CITY, April 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zions Agricultural Finance, a division of Zions First National Bank (``Zions''), has announced that it ranked as the nation's top originator of new secondary market agricultural real estate mortgage loans sold through the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (``Farmer Mac'') for 2001. This year's top ranking by Zions marks the fourth consecutive year in which the bank has claimed the top spot. Zions Bank is a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation (Nasdaq: ZION - news).

``Zions has had a long-standing commitment to agriculture,'' said Rick Floyd, senior vice president and manager of Zions Agricultural Finance. ``With lending officers or correspondents in 31 states, Zions Agricultural Finance is committed to providing rapid farm mortgage loan decisions for farmers and ranchers nationwide seeking to acquire, expand or refinance their land.''

Zions Bank has been an active participant in the Farmer Mac program for more than 10 years, helping to launch the Farmer Mac II program in 1991. Since 1996, Zions has held a primary contract with Farmer Mac to underwrite and provide national servicing for farm and ranch loans sold on the secondary market to Farmer Mac. Zions and its affiliates currently own 322,000 shares (or approximately 31 percent) of Farmer Mac Class A Voting common stock, and 1,500,000 shares (or 14.9 percent) of Class C Non-Voting common stock. In addition, Zions Bank Executive Vice President David Hemingway is a member of the Farmer Mac board of directors.

With principal offices in Salt Lake City, Utah and Ames, Iowa, Zions Agricultural Finance maintains a national network of employee originators, correspondent bank relationships and mortgage brokers. Visit the Zions Agricultural Finance Web site at www.zionsag.com .

Farmer Mac is the federally chartered corporation created by Congress to establish a secondary market for agricultural real estate and rural housing mortgage loans, and to facilitate capital market funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guaranteed farm program and rural development loans.

Zions Bank operates 148 full service branches and more than 200 ATMs throughout Utah and Idaho. In addition to a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions offers a comprehensive array of investment, mortgage, and insurance services, and has a network of loan origination offices for small businesses nationwide. The company is also a leader in providing electronic banking services, including electronic municipal bond trading. Founded in 1873, Zions has been serving the communities of the Intermountain West for nearly 130 years. Additional information on Zions Bank is available at www.zionsbank.com .