News on Animal Slaughtering and Processing

Earns Smithfield Foods

2010-03-11T05:17:32Z

DILE - In this March 10, 2009 file photo, Smithfield Food products are on display at the Ukrops store in Richmond, Va. Meat processor Smithfield Foods returned to a profit in the third quarter Thursday, March 11, 2010, partly due to strength in its packaged meats business and higher sales overseas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, file)

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Summary Box: Smithfield Foods 3Q results

2010-03-11T11:00:24Z

<div id="subtitle">Summary Box: Smithfield Foods 3rd quarter results</div><div><p>RECOVERY: Smithfield Foods Inc., the nation's largest hog producer and pork processor, reported a profit in its third quarter after more than a year of losses.</p><p>CHALLENGE: Meat companies are beginning to recover after a mix of high feed prices, low demand and industry consolidation hampered profitabili...

China seen opening soon to U.S. pork: report

2010-03-06T11:00:05Z

<div><p>KANSAS CITY (Reuters) - Pork producers attending their annual meeting here are looking for China to be the next major market to open fully to U.S. pork following word this week that certificate problems with Russia have been solved and exports could start soon to that count...

Russia to reopen market to US pork

2010-03-05T11:20:07Z

<div><p>Russia has agreed to reopen its market to US pork products after restrictions for more than a year, US officials said Friday.</p><p>Russia imposed the ban in December 2009, saying the products had not met Moscow's food safety regulations.</p><p>Talks between the two countries have "led to the development of a...

China's markets reopen to Canadian pork

2010-02-25T23:15:59Z

<div><p>China has reopened its markets to Canadian pork, lifting a ban imposed in early 2009 out of concern for the spread of the swine flu virus, Canada's Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has said.</p><p>"Access to the Chinese market is excellent news for Canadian pork producers and underlines the importance of recognizing international...

Tyson Foods Job Cuts

2010-01-22T10:00:49Z

FILE - In this May 3, 2009 file photo, Tyson Foods chicken products are displayed on the shelves of a Little Rock, Ark. grocery store. Tyson Foods Inc. said Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, it is laying off 480 workers in Iowa as it shifts some beef and pork production from its plant in Council ...

Iowa meatpacking plant closure ending 1,450 jobs

2010-02-22T17:42:31Z

<div id="subtitle">Iowa meatpacking plant closing, eliminating 1,450 jobs at 1 of Sioux City's largest employers</div><div><p>John Morrell &amp; Co. is closing its pork processing plant in Sioux City, eliminating all 1,450 hourly and salaried jobs at one of the city's largest employers, the company announced Wednesday.</p><p>The subsidiary of Smithfield,...

Russia rules could hurt U.S. beef exports: senators

2010-02-22T19:41:25Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New Russian inspection rules could trim U.S. beef exports to the market as of February 1, two influential U.S. senators said in a letter to President Barack Obama on Friday, urging action on bilateral meat trade issues.</p><p>Russia's veterinary s...

Analyst lifts Tyson Foods rating and price target

2010-02-22T20:23:13Z

<div id="subtitle">Tyson Foods climbs as analyst raises meat producer's rating and price target</div><div><p>Shares of Tyson Foods Inc. surged Thursday as an analyst upgraded the world's largest meat producer and boosted its price target, saying the stock still has room to go higher in the next six months.</p><p>Since hitting a 52-week low of $7.51 i...

Smithfield to lay off fewer workers at Va plant

2010-02-22T23:51:44Z

<div id="subtitle">Smithfield to lay off fewer than 30 workers after Va plant closes, fraction of original plans</div><div><p>Smithfield Foods Inc. said Thursday it will lay off fewer than 30 workers when it closes a Virginia meat processing plant this spring, nowhere near the 340 it previously anticipated.</p&...

John Morrell buys remaining stake in Premium Pet

2010-02-23T01:12:16Z

<div id="subtitle">Smithfield Foods unit John Morrell buys rest of Premium Pet Health for undisclosed terms</div><div><p>John Morrell &amp; Co., a subsidiary of fresh pork and packaged meat processor Smithfield Foods Inc., said Tuesday that it has purchased the remaining minority stake in Premium Pet Heal...

Pilgrim's Pride exits bankruptcy under JBS deal

2010-02-23T08:44:42Z

<div><p>NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp &lt;PGPDQ.PK&gt; said on Monday it has emerged from bankruptcy protection, just over a year after beginning the process.</p><p>The company's bankruptc...

USDA: W.Va. red meat production drops in November

2010-02-23T08:45:26Z

<div id="subtitle">W.Va. red meat production drops in November from prior month, but still higher than last year</div><div><p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture says red meat production in West Virginia dropped by 28 percent from October to November.</p><p>The agenc...

Economist tells cattlemen it will be tough in 2010

2010-02-23T20:37:19Z

<div id="subtitle">Livestock market expert tells Kansas cattlemen industry will continue to be tough in 2010</div><div><p>A leading livestock market expert warned Kansas cattlemen Friday that the industry will continue to be tough and urged them to take advantage of any narrow profit margins they can find.</p><p>Randy Blach, an economist for CattleFax, spoke as the

China lifts import ban on U.S., Canada, Mexico pork

2010-02-23T22:43:39Z

<div><p>BEIJING (Reuters) - China has lifted its bans on imports of pork products from the United States, Canada and Mexico, its quarantine bureau said on Tuesday, but anal...

Earns Tyson Foods

2009-11-23T06:00:32Z

In this photo made Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, a Tyson Foods, Inc., truck is parked at a food warehouse in Little Rock, Ark. Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat producer, said Monday, Nov. 23, 2009, it lost money in its fiscal fourth quarter primarily on a hefty goodwill impairment charge.(AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Copyright 2009 US Agriculture Department: South Dakota's red meat production decreases in October</div><div><p>The U.S. Agriculture Department says commercial red meat production for South Dakota totaled 77.6 million pounds during October, down 22 percent from a year ago and down 1 percent f...

Tyson Foods CEO

2009-11-19T09:17:06Z

In this undated photo released by Tyson Foods Inc., Donnie Smith is shown. Tyson Foods Inc. named insider Donnie Smith as president and CEO of the world's largest meat producer on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, replacing Leland Tollett who had been holding those positions on an interim basis. (China agrees to lift ban imposed on US pork imports last spring because of swine flu</div><div><p>Chinese officials have agreed to lift the ban on U.S. pork imports they imposed last spring out of fear of swine flu.</p><p>The announcement, made on Thursday, is a major boost to the beleaguered U.S. pork industry, which had already been suffering from a d...

USDA says West Virginia red meat production jumps

2010-02-24T14:21:48Z

<div id="subtitle">USDA says West Virginia's red meat production soars 26 percent in September</div><div><p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture says red meat production jumped 26 percent in West Virginia last month.</p><p>The agency said Friday that West Virginia's c...