Hancock Agricultural Investment Group Names Paul Joerger Head Of Asset Management

- Experienced Agricultural Investment Professional To Direct Farmland Property Manager Relationships, Acquisition And Disposition Processing

BOSTON, May 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Paul Joerger, AFM, has been named Vice President and Director of Asset Management for the Hancock Agricultural Investment Group (HAIG).

Mr. Joerger, whose appointment is effective immediately, will be based in Boston and report to Oliver Williams, the president of HAIG. Mr. Joerger will be responsible for directing farmland property manager relationships as well as acquisition and disposition processing, including financial modeling and investment presentation. He will also be responsible for the group's property-level risk management and farmland appraisal program.

"We are very fortunate to have Paul join our team," Mr. Williams said. "His experience, expertise and the network of relationships he has developed over more than 25 years in this business will enhance HAIG's ability to serve our clients and manage their assets."

Before joining the Hancock Agricultural Investment Group, Mr. Joerger was an area vice president and part of the senior management team at Farmers National Company based in Overland Park, Kansas. He oversaw 10 farm managers with more than 400,000 acres of farmland under management. Previously, he worked at Agriland, Noble Foundation and at Southern States Cooperative.

Mr. Joerger graduated from North Dakota State University with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics and later earned a M.S. in Agricultural Economics there. Mr. Joerger is an Accredited Farm Manager and a member and the incoming president of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.

About Hancock Agricultural Investment Group

HAIG manages more than $1.6 billion of farmland and commitments in the U.S., Australia and Canada for its institutional clients. The group manages more than 260,000 acres of row cropland (corn, cotton, rice, soybeans, vegetables, wheat) and permanent cropland (almonds, apples, grapes, walnuts, cranberries). HAIG is an operating division of the Hancock Natural Resource Group, a subsidiary of Manulife Asset Management, the investment management arm of Manulife Financial Corporation. Additional information about HAIG may be found at www.haig.com.

About Manulife Asset Management

Manulife Asset Management™ is the global asset management arm of Manulife Financial. Manulife Asset Management provides comprehensive asset management solutions for institutional investors and investment funds in key markets around the world. Manulife Asset Management also provides investment management services to affiliates' retail clients through product offerings of Manulife and John Hancock. This investment expertise extends across a full range of asset classes including equity, fixed income and alternative investments such as real estate, timber, farmland, as well as asset allocation strategies.

Manulife Asset Management has offices with full investment capabilities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. In addition, it has a joint venture asset management business in China, Manulife TEDA. It also has operations in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Uruguay. John Hancock Asset Management, Hancock Natural Resource Group and Declaration Management and Research are units of Manulife Asset Management.

As at March 31, 2012, assets under management were Cdn$219.8 billion (US$219.8 billion). Additional information about Manulife Asset Management can be found at www.manulifeam.com.

Manulife Asset Management was named a 2011 'Bond Manager of the Year' finalist by Money Management Intelligence (MMI) in the United States and "Best Asia Bond House" by Asia Asset Management.

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. In 2012, we celebrate 125 years of providing clients strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients. We also provide asset management services to institutional customers. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$512 billion (US$512 billion) as at March 31, 2012. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

SOURCE Hancock Agricultural Investment Group

Brian Carmichael, [phone], [email protected]

http://www.haig.com