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Smithfield set to cash in on demand for ractopamine-free pork
Story Date: 2/22/2013
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Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 2/21/13
Smithfield Foods announced the company is well-positioned to meet rising demand for ractopamine-free pork, following recent announcements that China and Russia will require third party certification that pork exports are ractopamine-free.
In a news release, the company said its Clinton, N.C. plant #413 has been 100 percent ractopamine-free since last year. In addition, the company is in the final stages of converting its Tar Heel, N.C. plant #18079, the world's largest pork processing facility. The Tar Heel plant will be fully converted by March 1, 2013, in time to comply with the new regulatory requirements from China.
Combined, these two plants will supply the market with more than 43,000 ractopamine-free hogs per day. Hogs will be sourced from company-owned farms as well as contract producers, and will be fed from feed mills that are ractopamine-free.
"The conversion of these plants to ractopamine-free is just one example of the flexibility that our vertically integrated model affords us in our ability to adapt to changing consumer demands in the U.S. and in international markets,” said Smithfield CEO and President C. Larry Pope. “We believe that this platform will continue to provide a competitive advantage for our company that will add value by fostering customer relationships to increase market share and generate growth."
Regarding the new third party verification requirements, Pope said, "We urge the U.S. government to work to quickly and decisively resolve this issue. We are in close contact with the U.S. government to address this situation and our customers in China and Russia are also encouraging their respective governments to develop a protocol with the U.S. government that is acceptable to all parties."
Ractopamine is an FDA-approved feed supplement used in the hog farming industry for many years to produce leaner pork. Smithfield will continue to produce pork with and without this supplement according to customer specifications.
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