'FIRST AG INDEX SUGGESTS LESS THAN PERKY ATTITUDES'

(Lincoln Journal Star) -- JournalStar.com reports "the nation's first agricultural confidence index," compiled by DTN in Omaha, "failed to generate any scores as high as 50%, or neutral, on questions about input costs, agricultural prices, net farm income and other matters crucial to the state's grain and livestock sector." The story notes that "Brad Lubben of UNL said the pattern seems to be reversing between the grain and livestock sector, with many livestock producers gaining ground recently after a period of sustained losses." See more at
http://journalstar.com/business/local/article_3a2f15f4-4c05-11df-9a7f-001cc4c03286.html.

GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON AGRICULTURE COMING UP IN MARCH

(Omaha World-Herald) — Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter will headline a March conference designed to give Nebraska farmers and ranchers guidance during an unusually uncertain time in their industry, Gov. Dave Heineman said today. The 21st annual Governor’s Agriculture Conference, scheduled for March 4 and 5 in Kearney, is intended to give farmers and ranchers, agribusiness representatives and rural leaders a chance to talk with top officials and experts about what’s on the horizon for agriculture. Yeutter, who will be keynote speaker, now is a policy adviser specializing in trade issues for a Washington, D.C., law firm. Other speakers include national ag policy experts Sara Wyant, president of Agri-Pulse Communications and Steve Kopperud, senior vice president at Policy Directions, Inc. For more information about the agriculture conference, visit the Agriculture Department’s web site at www.agr.ne.gov or call the department at (800) 831-0550.