SB10001424052702303559504579197662165181956

Inside China's Supersanitary Chicken Farms

Looking to Capitalize on Food-Safety Concerns, Tyson Shifts From Using Independent Breeders

DAVID KESMODEL and

LAURIE BURKITT

Dec. 9, 2013 3:29 p.m. ET

HAIMEN, China—Nestled among tiny farms in this rural outpost outside Shanghai is a huge, supersanitary chicken farm—a bold bet by Tyson Foods Inc. that it can thrive in China by overhauling a decades-old business model.

Instead of buying chickens from independent farmers, as Tyson long has done world-wide, the company is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build its own farms in China. The effort is aimed at making inroads in a crucial growth market by addressing one of the country's most vexing problems: food safety.

On a recent afternoon, 330,000 chickens graze in 16 ventilated buildings, each about the area of two Olympic swimming pools. Video cameras monitor the interiors, where the faint sound of chirps mix with the whir of big fans. Workers don sterilized uniforms and shoes. Every delivery truck entering the grounds is sprayed three times with disinfectant.

Tyson aims to run 90 chicken farms in China by 2015. Three years ago it had none. Here, chickens travel the line at a Tyson plant in Haimen. LAURIE BURKITT/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

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Tyson Announces Layoffs

http://5newsonline.com/2014/08/29/tyson-announces-that-it-will-eliminate-some-jobs/

POSTED 2:44 PM, AUGUST 29, 2014, BY CURT LANNING AND LARRY HENRY, UPDATED AT 03:10PM, AUGUST 29, 2014

SPRINGDALE (KFSM) – Tyson Foods is eliminating some jobs in Northwest Arkansas and elsewhere, a company spokesman said on Friday (Aug. 29).

“We are currently eliminating some positions,” Dan Fogleman, Tyson spokesman, said in a statement. “While the number of people affected is small, we don’t take such a decision lightly. Those affected will be treated respectfully. We’ll also make sure they’re aware of other open jobs in the company.”

Fogleman declined to say how many jobs are being eliminated but added those jobs include various positions. Tyson employes about 120,000 people worldwide.

Fogleman said the company, whose world headquarters is in Springdale, frequently examines staffing levels ‘in order to remain competitive.”

“Sometimes we’re adding jobs; sometimes we’re eliminating them,” Fogleman said.

He said the layoff were not related to Tyson’s recent merger with Hillshire.