August 12, 2013

Tyson Foods to build chicken farms in China

Tyson Foods, Inc. is planning on building its own chicken farms in China, said CEO Donnie Smith on August 5 during the company's third-quarter earnings call with shareholders.

With Chinese consumers still wary of chicken because of the recent H7N9 outbreak, and a string of food-safety scares, Tyson Foods says it is an opportunity to expand its business and plans to raise its own chickens in China while using strong biosecurity measures.

Tyson expects to produce 50% of its own birds in China by the end of fiscal year 2013 and approach 100% by the end of fiscal 2014.