April 27, 2009

Sanderson Farms expects its production to fall two percent this year, mainly because plans for a new North Carolina plant have been put on hold.

Plans for the plant have been temporarily shelved because of deteriorating economic conditions.

This is the first time in a long time that Sanderson Farms' production will decrease, according to CFO Mike Cockrell.

The company is eager to resume work on the plant, which would allow it better access to Northeast markets, Cockrell said.

Sanderson Farms expects to process 2.4 billion pounds of chicken this year.