ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University's annual Agribusiness Economic Outlook Conference will be held Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On-site registration will begin at 9 a.m. in the foyer of the David L. Call Alumni Auditorium, Kennedy Hall.

The morning session will begin with a welcome by William Lesser, chair of the Department of Applied Economics and Management (AEM). Steven Kyle, associate professor of AEM, will provide the national perspective on the economy and agriculture. There will then be a discussion of the agriculture innovation center, the New York Farm Viability Institute: The Center for Value-Added Agriculture, established at Cornell last year with a grant of $993,200 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The center is providing extensive consulting to individual producers to help them add value at the farm level.

There will be two concurrent afternoon sessions:

Grains and feeds, livestock and dairy -- William Tomek, professor emeritus of AEM, will describe the outlook for grains and feed; Mark Stephenson, senior extension associate in AEM, will shed light on the dairy situation and outlook.

Fruit, grapes, vegetables, ornamentals and research updates -- Gerald White, professor of AEM, will present the fruit, grape and wine situation and outlook; Wen-fei Uva, senior extension associate in AEM, will outline the vegetable and ornamental situation and outlook. Uva will give a research update on consumer preferences and marketing opportunities for premium peaches in New York state, followed by White, who will give an update on crop insurance.

The pre-registration fee is $60 if postmarked by November 23, and $70 after that date. The registration fee for Cornell and Cornell Cooperative Extension staff is $25. Parking permits are $4. For further information or to obtain a pre-registration form, go to http://aem.cornell.edu/outreach/index.htm#outlook or contact Linda Putnam at (607) 255-8429. Phone registrations will not be accepted.

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EDITORS: If you or a reporter would like to attend, please contact Susan Lang at Cornell News Service, (607) 255-3613, for credentials.