ADM Reports Second Quarter 2012.5 Earnings of $510 Million or $0.77 per Share

Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today reported financial
results for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2012. The company reported net
earnings for the quarter of $510 million, or $0.77 per share, up from
$0.12 per share in the same period one year earlier. Adjusted earnings
per share¹ were $0.60, up from $0.51 in the same period last
year. Segment operating profit¹ was $808 million.

'The ADM team managed well despite challenges from the U.S. drought and
from persistent, negative margins in the ethanol industry,? said ADM
Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz. 'Our results in Oilseeds and
Agricultural Services demonstrated the ability of our people to use our
global asset network to prepare for and manage in a range of market
conditions.

'In North America, we fully utilized our oilseeds crushing capacity to
meet strong global demand, and we adjusted our transportation and
origination network to move goods efficiently despite constrained river
traffic and a smaller corn crop. In South America, we leveraged our
origination, transportation and export facilities to move the record
corn crop to world markets. And, in Europe, we made some operational
changes, and the market responded to reduced imports.

'During our abbreviated fiscal year, we drove meaningful improvements in
capital, costs and cash to enhance our future competitiveness. We
continued taking action to improve underperforming businesses. As part
of our ongoing portfolio management, we sold $570 million of non-core
investments. And, through a companywide focus, we unlocked more than $1
billion in working cash.?

Second Quarter 2012.5 Highlights

• 
  Adjusted EPS of $0.60 excludes approximately $113 million in pretax
  LIFO gains ($0.11 per share) and other items that net to about $0.06
  per share.
  
• 
  Oilseeds Processing profit increased $202 million, with year-over-year
  improvements in crushing and origination results in all regions.
  
• 
  Excluding last year′s $339 million asset impairment charge, Corn
  Processing profit decreased $207 million, due to ongoing weakness in
  industry ethanol margins.
  
• 
  Agricultural Services profit rose $77 million, as solid U.S. soybean
  exports, improved international merchandising and a gain on ADM′s
  investment in GrainCorp benefitted results.
  
• 
  Net debt balances declined to $7.2 billion, the lowest level since
  June 2010, as the benefits of the company wide focus on unlocking cash
  began to be realized.
  

Adjusted EPS of 60 Cents, up 9 Cents

Adjusted EPS increased primarily due to higher segment operating profit.

This fiscal year′s effective tax rate of 30 percent was in line with the
same six-month period last year.

Oilseeds Earnings Improve Across All Three Regions

Oilseeds operating profit in the second quarter was $411 million, up
$202 million from the same period one year earlier. Results included
unfavorable mark-to-market timing effects of about $50 million (about
$0.05 per share), compared to an unfavorable impact of about $110
million in the year-ago quarter.

Crushing and origination operating profit was $261 million, up $140
million from the year-ago quarter on strong improvements in all three
geographies. ADM′s U.S. soybean operations ran at record capacity during
the quarter and delivered very strong results amid good domestic and
export meal demand. In South America, ADM was well prepared to move the
record corn harvest. And in Europe, operational changes and reduced
imports from South America drove improved results.

Refining, packaging, biodiesel and other generated a profit of $50
million for the quarter, down $27 million, due to weakness in biodiesel
margins in the U.S. and Europe.

Cocoa and other results increased $66 million. Weaker cocoa press
margins were offset by the absence of last year′s significant negative
mark-to-market impacts.

Oilseeds results in Asia for the quarter were up $23 million from the
prior year′s second quarter, principally reflecting ADM′s share of the
results from its equity investee Wilmar International Limited.

Corn Processing Results Weak on Continued Ethanol Industry Challenges

Corn processing operating profit of $3 million represented a decline of
$207 million from the same period one year earlier, when excluding the
year-ago quarter′s $339 million asset impairment.

Sweeteners and starches operating profit increased $22 million to $97
million, as tight sweetener industry capacity and higher corn costs
supported higher year-over-year selling prices.

Excluding last year′s $339 million asset impairment charge, bioproducts
results decreased $229 million to a loss of $94 million. Weak domestic
gasoline demand and unfavorable global ethanol trade flows resulted in
continued excess industry capacity, keeping ethanol margins negative.

Agricultural Services Solid Despite Impact of U.S. Drought

Agricultural Services operating profit was $317 million, up $77 million
from the same period one year earlier. Results included a $62 million
gain on ADM′s investment in GrainCorp.

Excluding the gain on GrainCorp, merchandising and handling earnings
rose $23 million to $129 million, as solid U.S. soybean exports and
improved international merchandising results more than offset lower U.S.
corn origination and export volumes.

Transportation results were solid, despite challenges from low water on
the Mississippi River. Results decreased $5 million to $48 million as
increased barge operating expenses were partially offset by higher
freight rates.

Milling and other results remained steady, as the milling business
continued to perform well.

Other Financial Results Improve

Operating profit from ADM′s Other Financial businesses was $77 million,
up $55 million, with asset disposal gains and favorable captive
insurance loss reserve adjustments.

Conference Call Information

ADM will host a conference call and audio webcast Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013,
at 8 a.m. Central Time to discuss financial results and provide a
company update. A financial summary slide presentation will be available
to download approximately 60 minutes prior to the call.

To listen to the call via the Internet or to download the slide
presentation, go to www.adm.com/webcast.
To listen by telephone, dial (888) 522-5398 in the U.S. or (706)
902-2121 if calling from outside the U.S. The access code is 85998249.

Replay of the call will be available from Feb. 6, 2013 to Feb. 12, 2013.
To listen to the replay by telephone, dial (855) 859-2056 in the U.S. or
(404) 537-3406 if calling from outside the U.S. The access code is
85998249. The replay will also be available online for an extended
period of time at www.adm.com/webcast.

About ADM

For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company
(NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs.
Today, 30,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn,
wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and
energy uses. With more than 265 processing plants, 460 crop procurement
facilities, and the world′s premier crop transportation network, ADM
helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 140 countries. For
more information about ADM and its products, visit www.adm.com.

¹ Non-GAAP financial measures, see pages 5 and 12 for
explanations and reconciliations

Financial Tables Follow

Total segment operating profit is ADM′s consolidated income from
operations before income tax that excludes certain corporate items.
Management believes that segment operating profit is a useful measure of
ADM′s performance because it provides investors information about ADM′s
business unit performance excluding certain corporate overhead costs.
Total segment operating profit is a non-GAAP financial measure and is
not intended to replace earnings before income tax, the most directly
comparable GAAP financial measure. Total segment operating profit is not
a measure of consolidated operating results under U.S. GAAP and should
not be considered as an alternative to income before income taxes or any
other measure of consolidated operating results under U.S. GAAP.

Total segment operating profit is ADM′s consolidated income from
operations before income tax that excludes certain corporate items.
Management believes that segment operating profit is a useful measure of
ADM′s performance because it provides investors information about ADM′s
business unit performance excluding certain corporate overhead costs.
Total segment operating profit is a non-GAAP financial measure and is
not intended to replace earnings before income tax, the most directly
comparable GAAP financial measure. Total segment operating profit is not
a measure of consolidated operating results under U.S. GAAP and should
not be considered as an alternative to income before income taxes or any
other measure of consolidated operating results under U.S. GAAP.

(a) Current assets (excluding cash and cash equivalents and short-term
marketable securities) less current liabilities (excluding short-term
debt and current maturities of long-term debt)