Smithfield Foods Global Hog Production Operations Moving Toward Complete Conversion To Group Housing

SMITHFIELD, Va., Jan. 3, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE:SFD) announced today that at the end of 2012 it had successfully transitioned 38% of pregnant sows on its company-owned farms in the United States from individual gestation stalls to group housing systems.

In the latest update, the company reported that it remains on track to finish its conversion to group housing on all company-owned farms in the U.S. by 2017. In 2007, Smithfield made a business decision to convert to group housing for pregnant sows on all company-owned U.S. farms based on input from its customers.

In addition, Smithfield said that its international hog production operations also will complete their conversions from gestation stalls to group housing on company-owned farms by 2022. Smithfield's hog production operations in Poland (AgriPlus) and Romania (Smithfield Ferme) completed their conversions to group housing facilities on company-owned farms a number of years ago. In addition, the company's Granjas Carroll de México (GCM) and Norson joint ventures in Mexico are committed to phasing out gestation stalls on company-owned farms by 2022.

"We're proud of the commitments made by our international operations, and here in the U.S. we are continuing to make good progress toward our goal of phasing out gestation stalls for pregnant sows at all of our company-owned farms, as our 2012 conversion number reflects," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods.

For more information on sow gestation at our farms, click here.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $13 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield ^®, Eckrich ^®, Farmland ^®, Armour ^®, Cook's ^®, Gwaltney ^®, John Morrell ^®, Kretschmar ^®, Curly's ^®, Carando ^®, Margherita ^®, and Healthy Ones ^®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and www.smithfieldcommitments.com .

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