SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
           Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
                      Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant [X]
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [ ]

Check the appropriate box:
[ ] Preliminary Proxy Statement         [ ] Confidential, for Use of the
                                            Commission Only (as permitted by
                                            Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

[X] Definitive Proxy Statement
[ ] Definitive Additional Materials
[ ] Soliciting Material under Rule 14a-12

                        FARMERS CAPITAL BANK CORPORATION
              -----------------------------------------------
              (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)


   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

[X] No fee required
[ ] Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.

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     2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

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     3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
        pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the
        filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

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[ ] Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
[ ] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
     Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
     was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
     statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

     1) Amount Previously Paid:

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     2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

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     4) Date Filed:

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                        FARMERS CAPITAL BANK CORPORATION
                              202 WEST MAIN STREET
                            FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY 40601

                    NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
                             TO BE HELD MAY 13, 2003

     The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Farmers Capital Bank Corporation will
be held at the main office of Farmers  Bank & Capital  Trust Co.,  125 West Main
Street, Frankfort, Kentucky, on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 11:00 a.m., local time,
to consider and act upon the following matters:

     1.   The election of four Directors for three-year  terms ending in 2006 or
          until their successors have been elected and qualified; and

     2.   Such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

     Only  shareholders of record at the close of business on April 1, 2003 will
be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at this meeting, or any adjournment
thereof. The stock transfer books will not be closed.

     It is desirable that as many shareholders as possible be represented at the
meeting.  Consequently,  whether  or not you now  expect to be  present,  please
execute  and return  the  enclosed  proxy.  You may revoke the proxy at any time
before the authority therein is exercised.

                              By order of the Board of Directors,


                              /s/ C. Douglas Carpenter
                              C. Douglas Carpenter
                              Vice President, Secretary
                              and Chief Financial Officer

Frankfort, Kentucky
April 1, 2003

                             YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

PLEASE DATE,  SIGN AND PROMPTLY  RETURN THE ENCLOSED  PROXY IN THE  ACCOMPANYING
POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.



                        FARMERS CAPITAL BANK CORPORATION
                              202 WEST MAIN STREET
                            FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY 40601

                                 PROXY STATEMENT
                    ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING-MAY 13, 2003

GENERAL

     The  Board  of  Directors  of  Farmers   Capital  Bank   Corporation   (the
"Corporation")  solicits  your  proxy for use at the 2003  Annual  Shareholders'
Meeting (the "Meeting").  The Meeting will be held at the main office of Farmers
Bank & Capital  Trust Co.  ("Farmers  Bank"),  125 West Main Street,  Frankfort,
Kentucky,  on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 11:00 a.m., local time. The persons named
as proxies in the form of proxy,  G.  Anthony  Busseni and Frank W. Sower,  Jr.,
have been designated as proxies by the Board of Directors.

     When the enclosed  proxy is executed and returned  before the Meeting,  the
shares  represented  thereby will be voted at the Meeting as specified  thereon.
Any person executing the enclosed proxy may revoke it prior to the voting at the
Meeting by giving notice of revocation to the Secretary of the  Corporation  (C.
Douglas Carpenter), by filing a proxy bearing a later date with the Secretary or
by attending the Meeting and voting his or her shares in person.

     This Proxy  Statement  and the  accompanying  form of proxy are first being
sent to shareholders on or about April 1, 2003.

VOTING

     Voting  rights  are  vested   exclusively  in  the  holders  of  shares  of
Corporation  Common Stock.  A  shareholder  is entitled to one vote per share of
Corporation  Common  Stock  owned on each  matter  coming  before  the  Meeting.
Shareholders  being present at the Meeting in person or by proxy  representing a
majority of the outstanding shares of Corporation Common Stock will constitute a
quorum.

     If shares are held in "street name" through a broker or other nominee,  the
broker or nominee may not be permitted to execute voting discretion with respect
to matters  to be acted upon at the  Meeting.  Shares  represented  by a limited
proxy,  such as  where a  broker  may not vote on a  particular  matter  without
instructions  from the beneficial  owner and no instructions  have been received
(i.e., "broker nonvote"),  will be counted to determine the presence of a quorum
but will not be deemed present for other purposes and will not be the equivalent
of a "no" vote on a proposition. Shares represented by a proxy with instructions
to abstain on a matter  will be  counted in  determining  whether a quorum is in
attendance  and in determining  the number of shares present at the Meeting.  An
abstention is not the equivalent of a "no" vote on a proposition.

     The  affirmative  vote of a  plurality  of the votes cast at the Meeting is
required for the election of Directors. A "plurality" means that the individuals
with the  largest  number of votes are  elected as  Directors  up to the maximum
number  of  Directors  (i.e.,  four) to be  chosen at the  Meeting.  A  properly
executed  proxy  whereby  authority  is withheld  from one or more  Nominees for
Directors will not be voted with respect to the Director or Directors indicated,
although  it will be counted  for  purposes of  determining  whether  there is a
quorum.

     Only  shareholders of record at the close of business on April 1, 2003 will
be entitled to receive  notice of and to vote at the  Meeting.  On March 1, 2003
there were 6,744,014 shares of Corporation Common Stock issued,  outstanding and
entitled to vote.


PRINCIPAL BENEFICIAL OWNERS

     The following  table gives  information as to all persons or entities known
to the Corporation to be beneficial owners of more than five percent (5%) of the
shares of  Corporation  Common Stock.  Unless  otherwise  indicated,  beneficial
ownership includes both sole voting power and sole investment power.

                                      Amount and Nature
                                      Of Beneficial
                                      Ownership of
                                      Corporation
Name and Address                      Common Stock as of              Percent
of Beneficial Owner                   March 1, 2003                   of Class
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Farmers Bank & Capital
Trust Co., as Fiduciary
125 West Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40601                    478,328 1                       7.09 2

1    The shares  indicated  are held by the Trust  Department of Farmers Bank, a
     wholly-owned  subsidiary  of the  Corporation,  in fiduciary  capacities as
     trustee,  executor,  agent or otherwise.  Of the shares indicated,  Farmers
     Bank has the sole right to vote 379,307 shares, or 5.62% of the outstanding
     shares, and shared voting rights with respect to 26,288 shares, or 0.39% of
     the  outstanding  shares.  It has no voting  rights with  respect to 72,733
     shares, or 1.08% of the outstanding shares.

     In addition,  of the shares  indicated,  Farmers  Bank has sole  investment
     power with  respect  to 323,197  shares,  or 4.79% of  outstanding  shares,
     shared  investment  power with  respect to 36,898  shares,  or 0.55% of the
     outstanding shares, and no investment power with respect to 118,233, shares
     or 1.75% of the shares outstanding.

2    Based on 6,744,014  shares of  Corporation  Common Stock  outstanding as of
     March 1, 2003.


                              ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

     In accordance with the Corporation's  Articles of Incorporation,  the Board
of Directors is  classified  into three classes as nearly equal in number as the
then total number of Directors  constituting the whole Board permits. Each class
is to be elected to  separate  three (3) year terms with each term  expiring  in
different  years. At each annual meeting the Directors or Nominees  constituting
one class are  elected  for a three (3) year term.  The term of those  Directors
listed  immediately below expires at the annual meeting on May 13, 2003 and this
class  contains the Nominees to be elected to serve until the annual  meeting of
shareholders  in 2006.  Any vacancies that occur after the Directors are elected
may be filled by the Board of Directors in accordance with law for the remainder
of the full term of the vacant Directorship.

     The Board of Directors  intends to nominate  for election as Directors  the
four (4) persons listed below, all of whom are presently serving as Directors of
the Corporation with the exception of Dr.  Mullineaux and Dr. Sutterlin  (though
Dr. Sutterlin was previously a Corporation  Director from 1998 through 2001). It
is the  intention of the persons  named in the proxy to vote for the election of
all Nominees named. If any Nominee(s) shall be unable to serve, which is not now
contemplated,  the proxies will be voted for such  substitute  Nominee(s) as the
Board of Directors recommends. Nominees receiving the four (4) highest totals of
votes cast in the  election  will be elected as  Directors.  Proxies in the form
solicited hereby which are returned to the Corporation will be voted in favor of
the four  (4)  Nominees  specified  below  unless  otherwise  instructed  by the
shareholder.  Abstentions  and shares not voted by  brokers  and other  entities
holding shares on behalf of beneficial  owners will not be counted and will have
no effect on the outcome of the election.

     The following tables set forth information with respect to each Nominee for
Director,  and with respect to incumbent Directors who (by virtue of the classes
in which they serve) are not Nominees for re-election at the annual meeting.




Name                            Has Served as           Position and Offices            Business Experience
and Age                         Director Since 1        with Corporation 2              During the Past Five Years
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  NOMINEES FOR THREE-YEAR TERMS ENDING IN 2006

                                                                               
Frank W. Sower, Jr.             1996                    Chairman of the Board           Retired Appeals Officer, Internal
(63)                                                    of Directors                    Revenue Service

J. Barry Banker 3               1996                    Director                        President of Stewart Home School
(51)                                                                                    (private, special needs school)

Dr. John D. Sutterlin           N/A                     Chairman of the Board           Retired Dentist
(62)                                                    of Directors of Farmers Bank

Dr. Donald J. Mullineaux        N/A                     None                            Professor, University of Kentucky,
(57)                                                                                    College of Business and Economics



Name                            Has Served as           Position and Offices            Business Experience
and Age                         Director Since 1        with Corporation 2              During the Past Five Years
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                 CONTINUING DIRECTORS WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE IN 2004

Lloyd C. Hillard, Jr.           1996                    Director; President,            President and CEO of
(56)                                                    CEO and Director of             First Citizens Bank
                                                        First Citizens Bank, Inc.
                                                        ("First Citizens");
                                                        Director of FCB
                                                        Services Inc. ("FCB
                                                        Services")

Harold G. Mayes                 1996                    Director                        President of H.G. Mays Corp.
(68)                                                                                    (asphalt paving contractor)

Robert Roach, Jr.               1998                    Director                        Retired Teacher, Frankfort
(64)                                                                                    City Commissioner

W. Benjamin Crain               2001 4                  Director; Chairman of           President of Fourth Street Tobacco
(62)                                                    the Board of Directors          Warehouse
                                                        of United Bank & Trust
                                                        Co. ("United Bank")




Name                            Has Served as           Position and Offices            Business Experience
and Age                         Director Since 1        with Corporation 2              During the Past Five Years
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                 CONTINUING DIRECTORS WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE IN 2005

Gerald R. Hignite               2002                    Director; Director of           President of Curneal & Hignite
(58)                                                    First Citizens Bank             Insurance, Inc. (general insurance
                                                                                        agency)since January 2001 (previously
                                                                                        Vice-President from 1997-2001)

G. Anthony Busseni              1996                    Director; President and         President, CEO and Director of
(55)                                                    CEO of the Corporation;         Farmers Bank from 1999-2002 5;
                                                        Director of Farmers Bank,       President, CEO and Director of
                                                        United Bank, Lawrenceburg       Farmers Georgetown prior to 1999
                                                        National Bank ("Lawrenceburg
                                                        Bank"), Farmers Bank and
                                                        Trust Company ("Farmers
                                                        Georgetown"), First Citizens
                                                        Bank, Kentucky Banking
                                                        Centers, Inc., and FCB
                                                        Services; Chairman of the
                                                        Board of Leasing One
                                                        Corporation; Chairman of the
                                                        Board of Farmers Capital
                                                        Insurance Corporation

Shelley S. Sweeney              2002                    None                            President, Swell Properties, Inc.
(61)                                                                                    (residential real estate rental
                                                                                        company)

Michael M. Sullivan             1999                    Director; Director of           Retired Senior Vice-President,
(65)                                                    FCB Services                    FCB Services

-----------------------------------------------------

1    Refers to the year in which the Nominee or the continuing Director became a
     Director of the Corporation.

2    All  corporations  listed in this  column  other than the  Corporation  are
     subsidiaries of the Corporation.

3    J. Barry  Banker is the  son-in-law  of Dr.  John P.  Stewart,  an Advisory
     Director (and the Chairman  Emeritus) of the Corporation.  The foregoing is
     the only "family relationship" between any Director (or Advisory Director),
     Executive  Officer,  or person  nominated or chosen to become a Director or
     Executive  Officer  of  the  Corporation.  "Family  relationship"  means  a
     relationship  by blood,  marriage  or  adoption  not more remote than first
     cousin.

4    Mr. Crain previously served as a Corporation Director from 1996 to 1998.

5    On March 11, 2002, the Board of Directors  elected Mr. Busseni as President
     and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation  replacing Charles Boyd, who
     died on March 8, 2002.


     None of the Nominees or  continuing  Directors is a Director of any company
with  a  class  of  securities  registered  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  pursuant  to Section 12 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 or
subject  to the  requirements  of  Section  15(d) of that  Act,  or any  company
registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

     In addition to the Nominees and continuing  Directors  listed in the tables
above,  Charles T.  Mitchell,  E. Bruce Dungan and Dr. John P. Stewart  serve as
Advisory  Directors to the Corporation.  The retirement  policy for Directors of
the Corporation  states that a Director shall retire  effective as of the Annual
Meeting of  Shareholders  next following the date on which the Director  attains
age 70.  Thereafter,  any such Director  may, at the  discretion of the Board of
Directors, become an Advisory Director.

COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     There are  three  standing  committees  of the  Board of  Directors  of the
Corporation:  the Retirement Committee, the Audit Committee and the Compensation
Committee. The Corporation has no standing nomination committee.

     The Retirement Committee consists of G. Anthony Busseni and Harold G. Mays.
E. Bruce Dungan and Charles T. Mitchell,  each of whom is a former  Director and
now an Advisory  Director,  serve as advisors to this  committee.  The Committee
establishes   investment  policy  and  monitors   investment   results  for  the
Corporation  Pension Plan and the Corporation Salary Savings Plan (collectively,
the "Retirement  Plans"). It also, from time to time,  recommends  amendments to
the  Retirement  Plans to the Board of Directors.  During 2002,  the  Retirement
Committee met four times.

     The Audit Committee  consists of J. Barry Banker,  Frank W. Sower, Jr., and
Robert  Roach,  Jr.,  with  Charles  T.  Mitchell  serving as an advisor to this
committee. The Committee is empowered to:

1.   Monitor the integrity of the Corporation's  financial reporting  processing
     and systems of internal controls regarding finance,  accounting,  and legal
     compliance;

2.   Select  the   Corporation's   independent   auditors  and  determine  their
     compensation;

3.   Monitor the  independence  and  performance  of the  independent  auditors,
     management and the internal audit department; and

4.   Provide  an  avenue  of  communication  among  the  independent   auditors,
     management, the internal audit department, and the Board of Directors.

     The  Committee  was in  compliance  with its written  charter  during 2002.
During 2002 the Audit Committee met five times.

     The Compensation  Committee for 2002 consisted of J. Barry Banker, Frank W.
Sower,  Jr.,  and Shelley S.  Sweeney,  with Charles T.  Mitchell  serving as an
advisor to this  committee.  The Committee  recommends to the Board of Directors
the salaries of all Executive  Officers,  including the Chief Executive Officer,
and  recommends  awards to be made (if any) under the  Corporation  Stock Option
Plan, which was approved by shareholders in 1998. The Compensation Committee met
four times during 2002.

     There were seven meetings of the Board of Directors  during 2002. Mr. Crain
attended less than 75% of the  aggregate  meetings of the Board of Directors and
all committees on which he served during 2002. Stock Ownership of Management

     The table below gives  information as to the shares of  Corporation  Common
Stock beneficially owned by all Directors (and Nominees), Advisory Directors and
Executive  Officers,  and by all  such  persons  as a  group.  Unless  otherwise
indicated, all shares are owned directly and the named persons possess both sole
voting power and sole investment power.

                            Amount and Nature of
                            Beneficial Ownership of
                            Corporation Common Stock
Name                        as of March 1, 2003 1,2      Percent of Class 1,2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


J. Barry Banker                          5,001  3               .07

Glenn Birdwhistell 4                       500                  .01

G. Anthony Busseni                      17,680  5               .26

W. Benjamin Crain                        1,847                  .03

E. Bruce Dungan                         75,085  6              1.11

Allison Gordon                           8,262  7               .12

Gerald R. Hignite                          600  8               .01

Lloyd C. Hillard, Jr.                   18,493  9               .27

Harold G. Mays                           5,758 10               .09

Charles T. Mitchell                     31,600 11               .47

Dr. Donald J. Mullineaux                   100                  .00

Robert Roach, Jr.                       20,000                  .30

Frank W. Sower, Jr.                     58,866 12               .87

Dr. John P. Stewart                     52,300 13               .78

Michael M. Sullivan                    177,078 14              2.63

Dr. John D. Sutterlin                   60,800 15               .90

Shelley S. Sweeney                     194,982 16              2.89

All Directors (and Nominees),
Advisory Directors and Executive
Officers as a group                    728,952 17             10.75


1    All entries are based on  information  provided to the  Corporation  by its
     Directors, Advisory Directors and Executive Officers.

2    Includes beneficial ownership of the following numbers of shares respecting
     which the named persons may be deemed to be  beneficial  owners as a result
     of rights they may exercise to acquire beneficial  ownership within 60 days
     of March 1, 2003:

         G. Anthony Busseni     16,667
         Lloyd C. Hillard, Jr.  14,667
         Allison Gordon          7,071

     The above  referenced  shares for the named persons are deemed  outstanding
     for  purposes  of  computing  the  percentage  of  outstanding   shares  of
     Corporation  common  stock  owned by such  person that are not deemed to be
     outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage of any other person.

3    Includes  3,400 shares held by Farmers Bank in trust for Mr.  Banker's wife
     and 115 shares held by Mr. Banker for each of his three children.

4    The term of Mr. Birdwhistell as Corporation Director ends May 13, 2003.

5    Includes 622 shares held for Mr. Busseni in the Corporation  Employee Stock
     Ownership Plan (the "ESOP").

6    Includes  42,500 shares owned by Mr. Dungan's wife and 1,584 shares held by
     the ESOP for his benefit.

7    Includes 359 shares owned  jointly with Ms Gordon's  husband and 331 shares
     held by the ESOP for her benefit.

8    Includes 400 shares owned by Mr. Hignite's wife.

9    Includes 125 shares held for Mr.  Hillard by the ESOP, 200 shares held in a
     self-directed  IRA for the benefit of Mr. Hillard's wife, 1,757 shares held
     in a  self-directed  IRA for his  benefit,  and 450 shares held in a profit
     sharing trust for the benefit of his wife.

10   Includes  5,758  shares  held by H. G. Mays Corp.  of which Mr. Mays is the
     President and principal shareholder.

11   Includes 8,000 shares owned by Mr.  Mitchell's  wife and 5,200 shares in an
     IRA established by Mr. Mitchell with Farmers Bank serving as trustee.

12   Includes  36,466  shares held jointly by Mr.  Sower,  his brother,  John R.
     Sower,  and his sister,  Lynn S. Bufkin,  as co-trustees for various trusts
     established  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Sower's  children  and  the  other
     grandchildren of Mr. Sower's parents.

13   Includes  41,500 shares held by Dr. Stewart as trustee for his own benefit,
     and 6,800  shares  held in trust by Farmers  Bank for the benefit of two of
     Dr. Stewart's children.

14   Includes 15,560 shares held by Mr.  Sullivan's wife,  51,000 shares held by
     the Sullivan Family Partnership  respecting which Mr. Sullivan and his wife
     are partners,  1,140 shares held by Mr. Sullivan as trustee of a charitable
     remainder  trust,  and 748  shares  held  by the  ESOP  for Mr.  Sullivan's
     benefit.

15   Includes 17,900 shares held in an Individual  Retirement Plan Trust for Dr.
     Sutterlin's benefit.

16   Includes 153,640 shares held in trust for Ms Sweeney's benefit.

17   All  shares  set forth in  footnote  2 above  are  deemed  outstanding  for
     purposes of computing this number.


                             EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

COMPENSATION

     The  following  table  sets  forth all  compensation  for  services  in all
capacities to the Corporation and its subsidiaries  during the last three fiscal
years by the Corporation's  Chief Executive Officer and the Corporation's  other
four highest-paid Executive Officers (including for these purposes three persons
not employees of the Corporation but of certain Corporation subsidiaries).



                                                    SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Long Term Compensation
                                                                  -----------------------------------
                  Annual Compensation                             Awards                      Payouts
                  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Other
Name                                                 Annual       Restricted                                   All Other
and                                                  Compen-      Stock          Securities    LTIP            Compen-
Principal                                            sation       Awards         Underlying    Payouts         sation1
Position          Year    Salary ($)   Bonus($)      ($)          ($)            Options(#)    ($)              ($)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                                       
G. Anthony        2002      225,807                                                                             16,813
Busseni,          2001      160,020                                                                             12,812
President & CEO   2000      153,600                                                                             11,752

Lloyd C.
Hillard, Jr.
President &       2002      125,620                                                                              9,826
CEO First         2001      121,120                                                                              9,497
Citizens Bank     2000      116,000                                                                              8,792

Rickey D.
Harp,
President &       2002      119,756                                                                             10,123
CEO Farmers       2001       85,097                                                                              7,283
Bank              2000       79,537                                                                              6,764

Bruce W.
Brooks
Executive Vice    2002      112,623                                                                              9,571
President         2001      104,634                                                                              8,950
Farmers Bank      2000       99,674                                                                              8,376

Allison B.
Gordon            2002      103,320                                                                              7,344
Senior Vice       2001       95,560                                                                              7,039
President         2000       83,800                                                                              6,650


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1    In 2002, includes (a) Corporation's  contributions to the Pension Plan (Mr.
     Busseni $8,000,  Mr. Hillard $4,625, Mr. Harp $4,790, Mr. Brooks $4,505 and
     Ms Gordon $3,457);  (b)  Corporation's  contributions to the Salary Savings
     Plan (Mr. Busseni $8,000,  Mr. Hillard $4,625,  Mr. Harp $4,790, Mr. Brooks
     $4,505  and Ms  Gordon  $3,457);  and (c) the cost of group  term  life and
     long-term  disability  insurance  premiums  paid  by the  Corporation  (Mr.
     Busseni  $813,  Mr.  Hillard  $576,  Mr. Harp $543,  Mr. Brooks $561 and Ms
     Gordon $430).








                               AGGREGATE OPTION EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR AND FISCAL YEAR-END VALUES

                        Shares                               Number of Securities                Value of Unexercised
                       Acquired         Value         Underlying Unexercised Options at         In-the-Money Options at
                     on Exercise       Realized              December 31, 2002 (#)              December 31, 2002 ($)2
                                                             --------------------               ---------------------
Name                      (#)             ($)1          Exercisable       Unexercisable      Exercisable    Unexercisable
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                               
G. Anthony Busseni           0              0             16,667              3,333             145,836          29,164
Lloyd C. Hillard, Jr.    1,000          9,020             14,667              3,333             128,336          29,164
Rickey D. Harp               0              0              1,428                571              12,495           4,996
Bruce W. Brooks              0              0             12,000                  0             105,000               0
Allison B. Gordon        1,000          9,230              7,071              3,428              61,871          29,995


1    The value realized from exercising options is calculated by multiplying the
     number of underlying shares by the difference  between the value of a share
     at exercise date and the option exercise price ($24.50).

2    The value of unexercised  in-the-money options is calculated by multiplying
     the number of underlying shares by the difference between the closing price
     of the  Corporation's  Common Stock on the NASDAQ  SmallCap  Market tier at
     fiscal year end ($33.25) and the option exercise  price.  These values have
     not been realized.
--------------------------------


COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

     Directors  of  the  Corporation  (including  for  these  purposes  Advisory
Directors)  receive a  quarterly  fee of $1,500.  Frank W. Sower,  Jr.  receives
$2,000 per quarter for serving as Chairman of the Board.  In addition,  Director
and Advisory  Directors  receive $250 per meeting for serving on the  Retirement
Committee and the Compensation  Committee and $500 for acting in such capacities
on the Audit  Committee.  Directors  and Advisory  Directors  receive a year-end
retainer of $4,000.  The Chief  Executive  Officer of the  Corporation  does not
receive any director  fees for serving as a Director of the  Corporation  or any
subsidiaries.

SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

     Section 16(a) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Section
16"),  requires the Corporation's  Directors and certain officers and beneficial
owners of Corporation Common Stock  (collectively,  the "reporting  persons") to
file  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  "SEC")  reports  of
ownership and changes in ownership of  Corporation  Common Stock.  The reporting
persons are required to furnish the Corporation with copies of all reports filed
pursuant to Section 16.

     Based  solely  upon a review of such  reports  received  by it, or  written
representations  from  certain  reporting  persons  that no Form 5 reports  were
required for those persons,  the Corporation  believes that, during fiscal 2002,
all filing obligations applicable to the reporting persons were complied with.

REPORT OF COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

     The   Compensation   Committee  is  composed  of  three   members  who  are
independent, outside Directors. Among other duties, the Committee is responsible
for  developing  and making  recommendations  to the Board  with  respect to the
Corporation's executive compensation. All decisions by the Committee relating to
the  compensation  of the  Company's  Executive  Officers,  including  the Chief
Executive  Officer,  are reviewed and given final  approval by the full Board of
Directors.  During  2002,  no decisions of the  Committee  were  modified in any
material way or rejected by the Board of Directors.

     The Corporation's  executive compensation objective is to link compensation
with corporate and  individual  performance  in a manner that,  recognizing  the
marketplace  practices of other bank holding companies,  will attract and retain
executives who can achieve the short and long-term goals of the Corporation. The
compensation  policy is to provide for competitive base salaries,  which reflect
individual  levels of  responsibility  and  performance,  and  annual  incentive
payments,  which are based upon the annual performance of the Corporation.  This
executive  compensation  is  also  intended  to  provide  an  incentive  for the
Corporation's   Executive  Officers  to  pursue  the  long-term  best  financial
interests of the Corporation and its shareholders.  Consistent with this, during
1997, the Corporation  awarded stock options to certain  employees and Executive
Officers  (which  awards  were  ratified  by  shareholders  at the  1998  annual
meeting).

     The Chief Executive Officer  recommends to the Compensation  Committee both
the total pool for annual base salary increases for the Corporation's  Executive
Officers and the individual annual base salaries for each Executive Officer. The
recommendations  by the Chief  Executive  Officer  for the pool for 2002  salary
increases and the base salaries for the Executive  Officers were accepted by the
Compensation Committee without objection, and the Committee's recommendations on
those matters were, in turn, approved by the Corporation's Board of Directors.

     The 2002  salary  for Mr.  Busseni,  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  of the
Corporation,  was set by the  Compensation  Committee  in an  amount  considered
competitive  with the salary levels for Chief  Executive  Officers of comparable
institutions  and in light of the  recent  performance  of the  Corporation.  In
determining salary levels at comparable institutions,  the Committee did not use
consultants  or market  surveys  but relied  instead on its own  experience  and
knowledge of market conditions.  The Committee's recommendation on Mr. Busseni's
2002 salary was approved by the Corporation's Board of Directors.

     Except for the annual  incentive  compensation  described in the  following
paragraph,   executive   compensation   is  not  directly  linked  to  corporate
performance.

     As a  part  of its  annual  incentive  compensation  described  above,  the
Corporation established an incentive compensation plan, which is administered by
the  Compensation  Committee  and  designed to award  incentive  payments to all
full-time employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Executive
Officers,  when certain  threshold  levels of performance are met. The Committee
establishes  the incentive  threshold at the earnings  level  recommended by the
management of the  Corporation.  As the earnings of the Corporation  exceed that
threshold,  certain incentive percentages are triggered. For 2002, the threshold
of this Plan was not met and  therefore no payments were made under the Plan for
2002.

                            Frank W. Sower, Jr., Compensation Committee Chairman
                            J. Barry Banker
                            Shelley S. Sweeney


COMPARISON OF CUMULATIVE  TOTAL RETURN AMONG FARMERS  CAPITAL BANK  CORPORATION,
NASDAQ MARKET INDEX, AND BANK INDUSTRY PEER GROUP INDEX

     The following  graph sets forth a comparison  of the  five-year  cumulative
total  returns  among the common  shares of the  Corporation,  the NASDAQ Market
Index ("broad  market  index") and MG Industry Group Index ("peer group index").
Cumulative  shareholder return is computed by dividing the sum of the cumulative
amount of dividends for the  measurement  period and the difference  between the
share price at the end and the beginning of the measurement  period by the share
price at the  beginning  of the  measurement  period.  The  broad  market  index
comprises all domestic  common shares traded on the NASDAQ  National  Market and
the  NASDAQ  SmallCap  Market.  The peer  group  index  consists  of 70  banking
companies in the  Southeastern  United States.  The  Corporation is among the 70
companies included in the peer group index.

Measurement Period      Farmers Capital        NASDAQ          MG
(Fiscal Year Covered)   Bank Corporation       Market Index    Group Index
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FYE 12/31/98                $ 120.50             $ 141.04         $ 95.24
FYE 12/31/99                   99.98               248.76           79.21
FYE 12/31/00                   94.95               156.35           80.87
FYE 12/31/01                  130.51               124.64          101.70
FYE 12/31/02                  122.72                86.94          108.85

Total return assumes reinvestment of dividends.
Assumes $100.00 invested on December 31, 1997.


CORPORATION PENSION PLAN

     The  Corporation  and its  subsidiaries  maintain a Pension  Plan for their
employees, including the Executive Officers of the Corporation. The Pension Plan
is managed by the Trust Department of Corporation  subsidiary  Farmers Bank (the
"Fund  Manager").  Employees  who  have  attained  the  age of 21 and  who  have
completed one year of service are eligible to  participate  in the Pension Plan.
For purposes of the Pension Plan, a year of service is a twelve-month  period in
which an employee works at least 1,000 hours.

     The Pension Plan has two components,  which are the Money Purchase  Pension
Plan and the ESOP.

     The Money  Purchase  Pension Plan portion of the Pension Plan provides that
the Corporation  shall  contribute to the Plan on behalf of each  participant an
amount equal to 4% of such  participant's  compensation  for the plan year.  The
investment decisions respecting the contributions made by the Corporation to the
accounts of  participants  under the Money Purchase  Pension Plan portion of the
Pension  Plan are  made at the sole  discretion  of the Fund  Manager.  The Fund
Manager may not, however,  invest any portion of the Money Purchase Pension Plan
fund in the Corporation Common Stock.

     Under the ESOP  portion of the Pension  Plan,  the  Corporation  may at its
discretion  contribute  additional amounts (up to the maximum imposed by federal
law),  which  will be  allocated  to all  participants  in the  ratio  that each
participant's  compensation  bears  to  all  participants'  compensation.   Such
discretionary  contributions  will be utilized to purchase shares of Corporation
Common  Stock  to be  held  in the  participants'  accounts.  During  2002,  the
Corporation made no contributions to the ESOP portion of the Pension Plan.

     The benefits that a participant  can ultimately  expect to receive from the
Pension Plan are based upon the amount of the annual  contributions  made by the
Corporation  to his or her account  together with the  accumulated  value of all
earnings on those  contributions.  The  Pension  Plan's  vesting  schedule is as
follows:  two years of service,  20% vested; three years of service, 40% vested;
four years of service,  60% vested;  five years of service,  80% vested; and six
years of service, 100% vested.

CORPORATION SALARY SAVINGS PLAN

     The  Corporation  and its  subsidiaries  maintain a Salary Savings Plan for
their employees,  including the Executive Officers of the Corporation,  who have
attained  the  age of 21 and  have  completed  one  year  of  service  with  the
Corporation or its subsidiaries.  A year of service is a twelve-month  period in
which an employee  works at least 1,000  hours.  The Savings  Plan  provides for
three types of contributions, as follows:

1.   Voluntary tax deferred contributions made by the participant;

2.   Matching contributions made by the Corporation; and

3.   Discretionary Corporation contributions.

     A participant  is permitted to make  tax-deferred  voluntary  contributions
under a salary reduction agreement.  This deferral of compensation is subject to
certain  limitations,  one of which is the limit imposed by the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended,  upon the dollar amount of the deferral. In 2002, such
limit was $11,000,  though participants who had reached age 50 were permitted in
2002 to make an additional catch-up contribution of $1,000.

     Participants are presented with various investment  alternatives related to
the Salary  Savings  Plan.  Those  alternatives  include  various stock and bond
mutual  funds that vary from  traditional  growth  funds to more  stable  income
funds.  Corporation Common Stock is not an available  investment  alternative in
the Salary  Savings Plan.  All  contributions  made by a participant up to 4% of
such participant's compensation are matched by the Corporation.  The Corporation
may, in its sole discretion,  make additional  contributions to the Savings Plan
on behalf of participants. The Corporation made no discretionary contribution to
the Salary Savings Plan in 2002. Discretionary contributions are allocated among
participants  in the ratio  that each  participant's  compensation  bears to all
participants' compensation.

     A  Participant's  contribution to the Savings Plan is considered as part of
the  participant's  compensation  for  purposes of computing  the  Corporation's
contribution to the Savings Plan.

     The  Savings  Plan  participants  are  immediately  vested in 100% of their
contributions,  and  Corporation  contributions  vest on a schedule that mirrors
that of the Corporation Pension Plan enumerated above.

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

     The Audit Committee is made up of three non-employee  Directors and has the
advisory  services of an Advisory  Director.  All members of the Audit Committee
are independent, as defined in the applicable National Association of Securities
Dealers Listing  standards.  The Corporation's  Board of Directors has adopted a
written charter for the Audit Committee.

     KPMG LLP, the  Corporation's  independent  auditor,  has provided the Audit
Committee  with  written   assurance  of  its   independence   (as  required  by
Independence  Standards Board Standard No. 1). The Audit Committee also met with
KPMG LLP and  discussed  KPMG LLP's  independence,  the results of its audit and
other  matters  required to be  discussed  by  applicable  accounting  standards
(including Statement on Auditing Standards 61).

     The Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of services to the
Corporation by KPMG LLP,  beyond those rendered in connection with the audit and
review of financial statements,  is compatible with maintaining the independence
of such firm.

     The Audit  Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the audited
financial statements that will appear in the 2002 Annual Report to Shareholders.

     The  Audit  Committee  recommended  to the  Board  of  Directors  that  the
financial  statements for 2002 be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for
filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     The fees for services provided by KPMG LLP were as follows:

          Audit fees - Fees for the audit,  and the review of the  Corporation's
          Form 10-Q's were $123,500 for 2002 and $114,675 for 2001.

          Audit related fees - Aggregate fees for all other services rendered by
          KPMG LLP were $25,700 for 2002 and $16,700 for 2001.

          Financial  information  systems design and implementation  fees - KPMG
          LLP did not  render any  services  related  to  financial  information
          systems design and implementation for 2002 or 2001.

                                       J. Barry Banker, Audit Committee Chairman
                                       Frank W. Sower, Jr.
                                       Robert Roach, Jr.

TRANSACTIONS WITH MANAGEMENT

     The bank  subsidiaries of the Corporation have had and expect in the future
to have banking  transactions  in the ordinary course of business with Directors
and Executive  Officers of the  Corporation and their  associates.  All loans to
such persons or their associates have been on the same terms, including interest
rates  and  collateral  on  loans,  as those  prevailing  at the  same  time for
comparable transactions with others, and have not involved more than normal risk
of collectability or other unfavorable features.

     Farmers Bank leases the second floor and basement of a building  located at
201 West Main Street,  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  to the Charles T. Mitchell Company
for $33,555 per year.  Mr.  Charles T.  Mitchell is an Advisory  Director of the
Corporation  and is a former  partner (now  retired) in the Charles T.  Mitchell
Company.

APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS

     On October 28,  2002,  the Audit  Committee  determined  and  approved  the
replacement of KPMG LLP with Crowe,  Chizek and Company LLP ("Crowe  Chizek") as
its independent  accountants for 2003. KPMG LLP's services will terminate at the
completion of its audit and issuance of its related report on the  Corporation's
financial  statements  to be filed on Form 10-K for the year ended  December 31,
2002. The change in the Corporation's  independent accountants was the result of
a competitive bidding process involving several accounting firms.

     In  connection  with the audits of the two fiscal years ended  December 31,
2002, and the subsequent  interim period,  there have been no disagreements with
KPMG  LLP on  any  matter  of  accounting  principles  or  practices,  financial
statement  disclosure,  or auditing scope or procedure or any reportable events.
KPMG LLP's audit reports on the financial  statements of the  Corporation  as of
and for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001 contained no adverse  opinion
or disclaimer  of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to  uncertainty,
audit scope or accounting principles.

     Representatives  of KPMG  LLP are  expected  to be  present  at the  Annual
Meeting of Shareholders,  and they will have an opportunity to make a statement,
if they so desire, and will be available to respond to questions.

SHAREHOLDERS' PROPOSALS FOR 2004 ANNUAL MEETING

     It  is  presently   contemplated  that  the  2004  Annual  Meeting  of  the
Shareholders will be held on or about May 11, 2004. In order for any shareholder
proposal to be included in the proxy  material of the  Corporation  for the 2004
Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Secretary of the Corporation must receive it
no later than  December  3,  2003.  It is urged  that any  proposals  be sent by
certified mail, return receipt requested.

     Shareholders' proxies to be solicited of the Corporation in connection with
its 2004  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders  will  confer  on the  proxyholders'
discretionary  authority to vote on any matter presented at that meeting, unless
notice that the matter is to be presented at the 2004 meeting is provided to the
Corporation no later than February 18, 2004.

GENERAL

     SHAREHOLDERS'  PARTICIPATION IN THE 2003 ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS'  MEETING. The
Bylaws of the  Corporation do not contain any  requirement  for  shareholders to
provide advance notice of proposals or nominations they intend to present at the
Meeting.

     EXPENSES.  The expense of this solicitation of proxies will be borne by the
Corporation.

     SOLICITATIONS.  Solicitations will be made by the use of mails, except that
proxies  may  be  solicited  by  telephone  by  Directors  and  Officers  of the
Corporation.  The Corporation does not expect to pay any other  compensation for
the  solicitation  of proxies,  but will  reimburse  brokers  and other  persons
holding Corporation Common Stock in their names, or in the name of nominees, for
their expenses in sending proxy materials to their principals.

     NO APPRAISAL RIGHTS.  Under Kentucky law, there are no appraisal or similar
rights of dissenters with respect to any matter to be acted upon at the meeting.

                                 OTHER BUSINESS

     The Board of Directors  does not presently know of any matters that will be
presented for action at the meeting. However, if any other matters properly come
before the meeting,  the holders of proxies  solicited by the Board of Directors
of the Corporation will have the authority to vote the shares represented by all
effective proxies on such matters in accordance with their best judgment.

                                      By Order of the Board of Directors,


                                      /s/ C. Douglas Carpenter
                                      C. Douglas Carpenter
                                      Vice President, Secretary
                                      and Chief Financial Officer

Frankfort, Kentucky
April 1, 2003

Farmers Capital Bank Corporation
                                      Proxy


Solicited  by the Board of  Directors  in  accordance  with the notice of Annual
Meeting of  Shareholders  and Proxy Statement dated April 1, 2003 for the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 13, 2003.

The  undersigned  shareholder  hereby  appoints G. Anthony  Busseni and Frank W.
Sower, Jr., or any of them with full power of substitution,  to act as proxy for
and to vote the stock of the  undersigned at the Annual Meeting of  Shareholders
of Farmers  Capital Bank  Corporation to be held at Farmers Bank & Capital Trust
Co.,  125 West Main Street,  Frankfort,  Kentucky on Tuesday,  May 13, 2003,  at
11:00 a.m., local time, notice of which meeting and accompanying Proxy Statement
being hereby acknowledged as having been received by the undersigned, and at any
adjournment  or  adjournments  thereof,  as  fully as the  undersigned  would be
entitled to vote if then and there  personally  present.  Without  limiting  the
general  authorization and power hereby given, the above proxies are directed to
vote as follows:

1.   The election of the following  Nominees as Directors of the  Corporation as
     set forth in the Board of Director's  Proxy  Statement,  1) Frank W. Sower,
     Jr.,  2) J.  Barry  Banker,  3) Dr.  John D.  Sutterlin,  4) Dr.  Donald J.
     Mullineaux;

2.   The  transaction  of such other  business as may  properly  come before the
     meeting.







                        Farmers Capital Bank Corporation
                                Proxy Reply Card




This Proxy when properly executed will be voted in the manner directed herein by
the shareholder. If no specific direction is given, this proxy will be voted FOR
all the Nominees referred to in Item 1 (including any substitute  Nominee in the
case of unavailability).









         [ ]      FOR ALL NOMINEES
         [ ]      WITHHOLD ALL NOMINEES
         [ ]      FOR ALL NOMINEES EXCEPT THOSE
                  LISTED

                  --------------------------------










      PLEASE DATE AND SIGN ON REVERSE, AND RETURN IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.

     This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors and will be voted as
                                 stated herein.








                        Farmers Capital Bank Corporation
                                      Proxy


I hereby vote my shares (listed below) as indicated on the reverse side.

Please sign your name below exactly as it appears on your stock  certificate(s).
Joint owners must each sign. When signing as attorney, executor,  administrator,
trustee or guardian, please give your full title.









                              Date                                       2003
                                   --------------------------------------
                                   --------------------------------------
                                   --------------------------------------
                                   --------------------------------------
                                              Signature of Shareholder(s)