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Land O'Lakes Reports Strong First-Half Performance

Land O'Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Policinski said, "These very positive results were driven by a combination of factors, including improved agricultural markets, solid performance by our core branded and propriety products, and new products that have been very well-received by both consumers and our commercial customers."

Policinski also noted that Land O'Lakes is aggressively pursuing strategic initiatives focused on optimizing efficiency and better managing risk. "These initiatives are transforming Land O'Lakes into a stronger, more competitive organization, and contributed to our strong first-half performance," Policinski said.

    --  Net Sales Up $910 Million:  Net sales, at $6.93 billion, were up 15
        percent from $6.02 billion during the first six months of 2010.
    --  Net Earnings Up $72 million:  First-half net earnings were $168.1
        million, 75 percent ahead of the same period one year ago ($96.3
        million).
    --  Balance Sheet Strength Maintained / Debt Ratings Upgraded:  Land O'Lakes
        maintained a strong balance sheet, with the company's Long-Term
        Debt-to-Capital ratio improving to 31 percent (versus 34 percent at the
        end of the first half of 2010), and total equity increasing by $130
        million to $1.16 billion.  Total debt (as of June 30, 2011) increased to
        $1.05 billion from $0.89 billion on the same date in 2010, due primarily
        to higher working capital needs related to increased pricing levels and
        business volume.  As a result of the company's solid financial
        condition, as reported earlier Land O'Lakes was upgraded to Investment
        Grade status by Moody's Investors Service in May.

"Going forward, Land O'Lakes will remain focused on delivering solid business performance, leading innovation and maintaining a strong balance sheet - while pursuing strategic growth opportunities, including international expansion," Policinski added. "This will enable us to deliver increasing value to consumers, customers and our member-owners, while positioning Land O'Lakes for long-term growth in the food and agricultural business."

Land O'Lakes first-half financial results can be found at www.landolakesinc.com. Click on Investors and Quarterly Financial Statements.

Land O'Lakes, Inc. (www.landolakesinc.com) is a national, farmer-owned food and agricultural cooperative with annual sales of $11 billion. Land O'Lakes is No. 218 on the Fortune 500 and the nation's second-largest cooperative. The cooperative does business in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. It is a leading marketer of a full line of dairy-based consumer, foodservice and food ingredient products across the United States; serves its international customers with a variety of food and animal feed ingredients; and provides farmers and ranchers with an extensive line of agricultural supplies (feed, seed, and crop protection products) and services. Land O'Lakes also provides agricultural assistance and technical training in more than 25 developing nations. The company's 2010 annual report is available at www.landolakesinc.com.

SOURCE Land O'Lakes, Inc.