Smithfield Video Affirms Company Position on Sow Housing

Aug 01, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

It appears Smithfield Foods is on track with its 2007 pledge to phase out sow gestation stalls in favor of group housing. The company released a video, which touts the benefits of group housing for pregnant sows.

"We think this is both an entertaining and informative look at how we are caring for pregnant sows, with actual footage from our sow farms that helps to explain how the group housing system ensures the safety, comfort and health of the sows during the gestation process," Dennis H. Treacy, Smithfield's executive vice-president and chief sustainability officer said in a news release.

The world’s largest pork producer vowed it would convert to group housing for all company-owned U.S. farms by 2017. In 2007, when the company first announced its plans, cost of conversion was estimated at about $300-million. The company’s international hog operations are also to be converted over to group housing by 2022.

Video: Did Bears Win Thanksgiving, Will Bulls Get Christmas?

Did the bears win Thanksgiving (although this week had green on the screen), and will the bulls get Christmas? Bears won thanksgiving thanks to a USDA Nov crop report dud that stalled the bullish grain momentum for a brief period. But a bullish lower yield surprise in the Dec crop report could reignite the rally.
2026 U.S. winter wheat planting is nearly complete at 97% while crop conditions improved by 3 points to 48% good-to-excellent. US corn & soybean harvest is complete.
High corn demand, which is off the chart, and more Chinese soybean demand could support a Christmas rally.
Nasdaq had it’s worst November since 2011.
A U.S. Fed rate cut in December will help fund flow and sentiment.
Bitcoin held a long-term support at 80,000 and that's positive for fund flow and sentiment. It should help stock prices and Ag as we go into December.
Fertilizer prices continue to climb as we look ahead to 2026. Farmers may rely more on the nutrients that they already have in their soils.
South American Weather remains critical as the soybean reproductive stage starts from late Nov to late Feb depending on planting date.
Will a Russia-Ukraine peace deal happen by year-end?
CFTC data as of showed more managed money fund sell-off as of October 14th.