Smithfield Foods Expands Grain Operations in Ohio

SMITHFIELD, Va., Sept. 21, 2016 -- Today, Smithfield Foods announced the expansion of its grain purchasing and handling operations by adding facilities in Harpster and Morral, Ohio. The purchase connects grain and soybean farmers with new, global markets while advancing Smithfield’s commitment to supply chain sustainability and proving the benefits of its vertically-integrated structure.

Grain purchased at the Harpster buying station will feed hogs throughout Smithfield’s Eastern Hog Production Division. From the Morral buying station, soybeans will be loaded on location and transported to customers around the world.

“We’re now able to help feed nine million of our hogs in North Carolina with grain we source directly from Ohio farmers," said Robbie Montgomery, Grain Origination Manager for Smithfield Grain. “With this purchase, we will have the opportunity to make positive impacts to our product quality as well as our environmental footprint by collaborating directly with more farmers.”

The Harpster and Morral grain buying stations will be part of the company’s existing fertilizer optimization program, a collaborative project between Smithfield and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The program, called SmithfieldGro, provides agronomy resources and tools to help farmers optimize their fertilizer application and improve soil health. The program’s expansion supports Smithfield in reaching its target of sourcing 75 percent of feed grain from sustainable origins by 2018.

Farmers who would like to set up accounts to work directly with Smithfield Grain personnel should contact Robbie Montgomery at (910) 289-2111 or [email protected]. For more information about Smithfield’s sustainable grain supply chain, visit www.smithfieldgrain.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 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^Ⓡ, Nathan's Famous^Ⓡ, Farmland^Ⓡ, Armour^Ⓡ, John Morrell^Ⓡ, Cook's^Ⓡ, Kretschmar^Ⓡ, Gwaltney^Ⓡ, Curly's^Ⓡ, Margherita^Ⓡ, Carando^Ⓡ, Healthy Ones^Ⓡ, Krakus^Ⓡ, Morliny^Ⓡ and Berlinki^Ⓡ. 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. 

Contact:
Kathleen Kirkham
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
(757) 365-1965
[email protected]