date:May 15, 2014
t prices increased 16 percent to $71 per hundredweight, while raising costs declined 4 percent to $65 per hundredweight. Smithfield sold fewer, but heavier market weight hogs. The company continued to manage risks in light of the current market challenges, including PEDv, which is resulting in production declines across the industry.
Operationally, Pope mentioned the benefits of the recent combining of two of the companys subsidiaries: Smithfield Packing Company and Farmland Foods. The merger,