LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An annual state agriculture conference is expected to focus on helping small and mid-sized Nebraska farmers prepare a transition plan for their operations.

Director of Agriculture Greg Ibach announced the annual agriculture conference with Gov. Pete Ricketts in a news conference Thursday. The Governor’s Ag Conference is set for March 4 and 5 in Kearney.

Ibach says a study showed more than 50 percent of the state’s small and medium dairy farms don’t have successors. A panel will address how to transition operations to younger farmers.

Ricketts says the conference will also address connecting the state’s urban and rural sectors through agriculture and increasing foreign exports to countries in Asia.

Representatives from the US Department of Agriculture, The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Scoular Company will speak.