Murphy-Brown LLC. As predicted, CBS News report biased towards modern animal agriculture

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1 Murphy-Brown LLC Volume IX, No. 1 Copyright Murphy-Brown LLC - A Smithfield Foods Company First Quarter 2010 Russia to reopen market The United States and Russia have recently reached an agreement to reopen the Russian market to U.S. pork and pork products -- excellent news for American hog producers. The U.S. exported nearly 20 percent of our pork production in Russia imported $257 million worth, six percent, of U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports last year. Sioux City plant closing John Morrell & Company announced in January that is will permanently close its hog processing and fresh meat fabrication plant located in Sioux City, Iowa, effective April 20, The Sioux City plant processes hog and produces boneless loins and other fresh pork products. The plant closure will affect approximately 1,450 hourly and salaried employees. The company will honor all contracts at Sioux City. Smithfield has no further plans for plant closures in the foreseeable future. Page 2 Antibiotics Q&A Page North Carolina Pork Council Pork Conference As predicted, CBS News report biased towards modern animal agriculture --Don Butler, Director of Government Relations & Public Affairs On February 9 and 10, 2010, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric aired segments on antibiotic use in livestock. The two-part special was a biased and negative view of modern production practices. As predicted, the stories were little more than a drive-by shooting of modern agriculture. Anticipating the news segments would be negative, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Pork Board, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association and others worked to deal with the upcoming stories, providing CBS with access to veterinary experts to talk about the proper use of antibiotics and accurate scientific information about the benefits of proper antibiotic use. Pork producers were also made available to be interviewed. Very little of this information made its way to the broadcasts. Members of congress and government agencies were alerted to the news coverage and were given accurate and complete information about the use of animal health products in pork production. Several members of congress were prepared to discredit the CBS reports and to stand up for livestock producers. They understood that CBS tried to mislead its viewers into believing that pork and pork products may be unhealthy and that handling or eating pork products could result in antibiotic resistance in humans. The fact is there is no scientific evidence this is true. To the contrary, proper use of antibiotics, under the guidance and direction of a licensed veterinarian helps keep animals healthy and healthy animals are needed to produce safe food. Murphy-Brown has a robust antibiotics usage policy. Veterinarians must approve all antibiotics used to prevent or treat disease. Murphy-Brown s antibiotic use policy can be found on the company s website at Page 6 7th Annual Murphy-Brown Truck Rodeo Page 8 Support grows for NPPC s Strategic Investment Program Additional information about the proper use of antibiotics in pork production can be found at the following resources: U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service U.S. Food and Drug Administration U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service National Pork Producers Council National Pork Board

2 Frequently asked questions about the use of antibiotics Question: Why are antibiotics used in pork production? Answer: Just like with humans, appropriate antibiotic use can keep animals healthy. Safe food is produced from safe animals. Question: What is antibiotic resistance? Answer: Antibiotic resistance refers to bacteria that are able to withstand exposure to antibiotics and, in fact, survive. Question: How are antibiotics used in pork production? Answer: Antibiotics are used strategically, administered when pigs are sick, susceptible or exposed to illness. Question: What is the industry s position on the use of antibiotics in pork production? Question: What else is the industry doing to make sure resistance doesn t become a problem? Answer: Pork producers are committed to protecting public health and preserving animal health and well-being by using antibiotics responsibly. Programs such as Pork Quality Assurance Plus have been implemented to address the issue of antibiotics use in modern pork production. This is resulting in healthier pigs and a safer food supply. Answer: The National Pork Producer s Council believes it is essential to public health and well-being, and the environment to maintain the effectiveness and availability of antimicrobials. All decisions affecting their availability should be based on sound science. Question: Aren t antibiotics in feed only used by large producers? Answer: A 2000 survey conducted by the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) determined that the use of antibiotics was not related to the size of the operation. In fact, a similar percentage of small producers and large producers report using antibiotics. Question: Is it safe to use antibiotics in food animals? Answer: Yes. The FDA does not approve the use of antibiotics until they undergo a vigorous review for safety to animals, humans and the environment. The FDA approval process is the first of multiple steps to ensure food products from animals treated with antibiotics are safe. Farmers work closely with veterinarians to decide which antibiotics to use, and they are administered when the animals are most at risk for illness. Additionally, the FSIS inspects every animal that enters and passes through a processing plant. FSIS also takes samples from meat to verify that there are no violative antibiotic or other residues in our meat. Question: Are there other factors besides antibiotic use that impact animal health? Answer: Yes. The use of animal health products, including antibiotics, is only one part of a comprehensive herd health program. Biosecurity, diagnostics, vaccinations, facility maintenance and animal care contribute to the farm s animal health picture. Question: What about organic meats? Are they safer? Answer: No. There is no scientific evidence that nutritional and safety profiles or organic meats are different than conventionally raised product. Only growing, handling, and processing methods differ. Source:

3 Butler s challenging term as NPPC president comes to a close It has been a fascinating, wonderful, frustrating, depressing and challenging time for me during my tenure as president of the National Pork Producers Council. But I am proud of our accomplishments over what has been a very trying year for U.S. pork producers. Don Butler, director of government relations and public affairs for Murphy- Brown. Having endured one of the most challenging economic and social periods in American agricultural history, Don Butler ended his term as president of the National Pork Producers Council during the 2010 National Pork Industry Forum on March 5 in Kansas City, Missouri. It has been a fascinating, wonderful, frustrating, depressing and challenging time to serve as NPPC president but it also has been a great honor and learning experience which I will never forget, Butler said during his opening remarks at the Forum. Over the past year, NPPC has done many things that all of us should be proud of, he continued. We overcame the H1N1 crisis; helped reopen foreign markets; facilitated robust trade; prevented market obstacles and border closures in Mexico; obtained $250 million in pork purchases from USDA; protected pork producers from damaging legislation, including a ban on antibiotics; and worked very closely with the National Pork Board for the betterment of all pork producers. Over the past two years, we have had a bitter taste of challenges, with the most infamous being the H1N1 flu debacle. Instantaneous global communications spread the term swine flu around the world and it negatively affected global demand for our products and closed many foreign markets. Don worked diligently with industry partners to encourage news outlets to correctly refer to the virus as H1N1 and to reinforce that pork was completely safe to eat. Demand was heavily damaged with a prolonged loss to the industry of nearly $2 billion. With Don s guidance, NPPC made great strides by working to reopen export borders, resulting in more stable pork prices and renewed demand. Another challenge was the political decision to move toward U.S. energy independence, which prompted a significant ramp up in corn ethanol production and which, in turn, has resulted in permanently higher costs to the industry - higher grain prices, fuel prices, fertilizer prices and other costs. The huge opportunity going forward is for the U.S. to remain the best, most efficient place on earth to grow pigs. Butler said. And that will happen if government policies, legislation, regulations and attacks from animal rights activists and others don t succeed in putting enough obstacles in our path to put us out of business. To ensure that we have a future and that we can prevail against all those forces, the U.S. pork industry must not only maintain its current position of strong influence in Washington, it must become even more of a force there. We have very smart business people running extremely sophisticated hog operations, and we are very competitive globally and are positioned to expand international trade opportunities, Butler said. I urge all producers to do the right thing every day on your farm to ensure that your animals are safe, comfortable and healthy, and to protect the environment and be a good neighbor, Butler concluded. Become PQA-Pluscertified and site-assessed, display the WE CARE banner on your farms and take advantage of every opportunity to tell others what we care about. Although he is relinquishing his position as president of NPPC, he will remain on the board and is committed to serving and consulting with the organization whenever needed. As director of government relations and public affairs for Murphy-Brown, he will rely heavily on his experiences and connections with NPPC. In this position, he is responsible for public policy development, media relations, and interaction with elected and regulatory officials at the local, state and national levels. Don, along with his father William, is also a producer with Murphy-Brown. As president of the National Pork Producers Council this year, Don Butler has done a supremely good job, said Neil Dierks, chief executive officer of NPPC. The issues the industry has faced have been significant challenges and Don has helped provide leadership and stability as we went forward to work on behalf of the industry and its producers. Don has done an excellent job and he needs to be congratulated. Thanks, Don.

4 Strong leadership rewarded Dexter Edwards recognized for outstanding service to agriculture Dexter Edwards, director of finishing operations for Murphy-Brown East, received the Melvin G. Cording Service to Agriculture award from the Duplin County Agribusiness Council in Kenansville, North Carolina. Ever wonder about the term agribusiness? It means agriculture operated by business; specifically, that part of a modern national economy devoted to the production, processing, and distribution of food and fiber products and byproducts. Agribusiness is the largest employer in Duplin County, North Carolina. The county leads the state in the sale of valuable agricultural commodities*. Butterball LLC and Murphy-Brown LLC are the first and second largest employers in Duplin County. The success of these companies is established with a work force inspired by leaders like Dexter Edwards, director of finishing production operations for Murphy-Brown East. In this capacity, Dexter is responsible for all Murphy- Brown finishing operations east of the Mississippi. Dexter, a native of Duplin County, began his tenure in agribusiness with Carroll s Foods in Over the past 30 years he has been an instrumental player in the pork production boom, managing production facilities, working in marketing and transportation, overseeing construction projects and production services, and supervising grower contract programs. He was a director of finishing operations for Murphy-Brown s Kenansville, NC division until last year when he was promoted to his current position. Dexter s devotion to agribusiness doesn t end when he leaves his office. He and his family have 13 finishing facilities, 3 turkey houses and a cattle business with partner John Smith, complete with approximately 850 registered cattle and 1,300 acres of hay forage. Dexter is also past president of the board of directors for the Duplin County Agribusiness Council which, each year, presents its Melvin G. Cording Award for Outstanding Service to Agriculture. This year, Dexter received this welldeserved distinction at the council s annual meeting. The award is given in honor of Melvin G. Cording, a former dairy farmer with Maola Milk Company who was instrumental in organizing the Duplin County Agribusiness Council and a charter member of the council. Cording is well remembered for the Left: John Dail and Lee Ann Garner of Kenansville, NC. The Garners, contract growers with Murphy-Brown, received the Pork All American Award given to pork producers under the age of 40 at the annual meeting of the Duplin County Agribusiness Council. Dexter Edwards eloquent speeches he presented to eager listeners on the importance of agriculture and agribusiness. The Melvin G. Cording Award for Outstanding Service to Agriculture was established by the Council upon his death in Three other Murphy-Brown contract growers received awards during the meeting. John Dail Garner of Kenansville, N.C. received the Pork All American Award given to pork producers under the age of 40. Ralph Britt, Jr. of Calypso, N.C. and Donnell Kornegay of Scott s Hill, N.C. received awards for corn and soybean production. *Source: North Carolina Department of Agriculture

5 NC producers see changes in 2010 pork conference venue U nusually cold, wet weather conditions did nothing to hamper the attendance at the North Carolina Pork Council s Annual Pork Conference in February. This year the two-day event was held in conjunction with the Southern Farm Show, the largest agriculture exposition in the Carolinas and Virginia, filling the NC State Fairgrounds with equipment, experts and ideas from over 500 manufacturers. Both days industry leaders, agribusiness lenders and industry economists gathered at the Martin Building to discuss the current state of the industry with high hopes for a turnaround in the near future. As always, seminars for Operator in Charge credits were available for pork producers and industry employees. The annual Bacon Bash, the membersonly fundraising event for the NCPC Political Action Committee, took place at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. In addition to the traditional reverse raffle for the $5,000 grand prize and the wonderful food, this year s event offered entertainment--a dueling piano show that had the audience rolling on the floor with laughter. The 2010 Bacon Bash was a huge success, raising over $30,000 for the North Carolina Pork Council s PAC. Wrapping up the event was the annual industry awards breakfast ceremony and the 2010 annual meeting, which was open to all members. Both were held at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. If you missed it this year, mark you calendars for the North Carolina Pork Council Annual Pork Conference ! The We Care trailer from the National Pork Board was at the fairgrounds serving their famous mouth-watering pork burgers for pork conference participants. THE BACON BASH! Above: Deborah Johnson, CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council; North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, Steve Troxler; and Don Butler, past president of the National Pork Producers Council and director of government relations and public affairs for Murphy-Brown.

6 You see them everywhere Murphy-Brown feed trucks, Murphy-Brown live haul trucks but we rarely get a glimpse of the men and women behind the wheel, the individuals that provide such a vital service to the company. Each year, they are given an opportunity to come together, families in tow, and share a camaraderie with their fellow truckers. M urphy-brown feed and live haul drivers from the Eastern Division saddled up for the 7th Annual Truck Driver Rodeo on March 27th in Kenansville, North Carolina. Each competitor came ready to test their driving and maintenance skills and to compete for this year s bragging rights. The three-part competition isn t easy. Drivers must complete an obstacle course and are judged on their backing skills, their ability to maneuver in tight corners and stop on a dime. They are even judged on how they enter and exit the vehicle. The written test examines their knowledge of DOT laws and regulations, and the pre-trip test demonstrates each driver s knowledge of the vehicle. Out of a possible 400 points, the winning driver had a top score of 318. The top four drivers from this event will go to the North Carolina State Rodeo in May. This year s first place winner of the MurphyBrown truck rodeo is Larry Nance of the Bladenboro Division with a score of 318. Larry also walked away with the trophy last year, an accomplishment for a man who never let physical obstacles stand in his way. Coming in second was Cecil Pittman of the Rose Hill Division with a score of 317. Tim Titch of the Laurinburg Division came in third with a score of 274. The Murphy-Brown Truck Rodeo is designed to be a family event, with games for the kids and door prizes donated by vendors such as Colony Tire, Gregory Poole, Cooper Kenworth and Cooper Leasing, Ledwell, Stone Parts and Cintas. Of course no family event is complete without food. Lunch was prepared and served by the Murphy-Brown supervisory team from all transportation divisions, with Whit Porter, driver supervisor with the Warsaw division, as chief cook. This competition not only gives these drivers a chance to show their stuff, it helps build moral and a cohesiveness among a group of individuals whose expertise and agility behind the wheel of a semi truck are essential to the company s success. Our hats off to you! Left: Driver Tony Harrington (left) gives direction to his supervisor, Whit Porter (right) on the finer points of grilling. Photos top right: Driver, Jerry Quinn, completes the obstacle course. Center photo right: Michael Wheeler studies his vehicle to determine where the problems are. During the pretrip test, drivers had to identify five glitches that were purposely made to the vehicle. Bottom right: Dave Wheeler (center) from the Waverly Division received the Rookie of the Year award. Dave is seen here with his wife, Tammy, and Waverly live haul supervisor Greg Harvey.? completes his pre-trip inspection.

7 Left: Larry Nance of the Bladenboro Division takes first place at the 2010 Truck Rodeo; (Below, left), Cecil Pittman of the Rose Hill Division came in second; and Tim Titch (below, right) of the Laurinburg Division was third. Left: In a little father and son competition, Don Bell (left) and Gary Bell (right) both completed the obstacle course. Don received this year s Top Supervisor award at the 2010 Truck Rodeo. Laurinburg group a Wiz at raising money for American Red Cross Admittedly, fundraisers can sometimes be a bit boring. The Scotland County, NC Chapter of the American Red Cross has a cure for that--celebrity Dinner and Game night, and the good folks at Murphy-Brown s Laurinburg Division were there to administer the remedy. More than 200 people enjoyed a night of dining, dancing, auctions and games at this year s event. The 14th annual event featured a buffet dinner attended by some 27 celebrity waitstaff, i.e. Red Cross volunteers who adopted a theme (hence the Wizard of Oz). These attendants collected almost $1,700 in tips from their tables. The public supported the event by sponsoring at different celebrity levels: Vanna White level - $100; Bob Eubanks level - $500; Richard Dawson level - $1000; or at the Regis Philbin level $2,000. Other options to donate were ticket sales, donating items to raffle at the dinner, or a monetary donation. Some 17 business partners sponsored the celebrity dinner. Top sponsors were Murphy-Brown and Dominos Pizza. This year s dinner raised more than $19,000 for the Scotland and Robeson County (NC) Chapters of the American Red Cross. Environmental Excellence Employees of 7083 Bladen Boar Stud received the 2009 Environmental Excellence Award for outstanding achievement in the area of environmental protection and stewardship. The Bladen Boar Stud had the highest combined rank in EMS compliance, training of employees, and water usage among SPG farms and has demonstrated outstanding EMS focus. Left to right: Brad Belstra, boar stud production manager, William Dy, current manager of the Bladen Boar Stud, and former manager Yung Liang-Hei, who currently manages Farm 7092-Askin.

8 Investing in the future Tim Craig, President North Carolina Pork Council The funds are used to strengten NPPC s mission to enhance and defend the opportunities for U.S. pork producers at home and abroad. Craig is president of NC Pork Council Tim Craig is the newly elected president of the North Carolina Pork Council. A contract producer with Murphy-Brown LLC, Tim manages a 750 farrow-to-finish sow farm and a 4500 head finishing facility. He is also owner/ manager/operator of Craig & Company, LLC, a grading company originally founded by his family approximately 60 years ago. Tim has served as vice president of the Chatham County Agribusiness Council. He is a graduate of NC State University. In addition to serving on the NC Pork Council s board, Tim is a member of the Council s producer education and communications committee and the promotions committee. Support grows for Strategic Investment Program Protecting your right to do business By now, many Murphy- Brown producers have received letters of support for the National Pork Producers Council s Strategic Investment Program (SIP). This program is the primary source of funds for the National Pork Producers Council. Pork producers participate by voluntarily investing a percentage of the price of each market hog sold. A portion of this investment is distributed as unrestricted funds to state pork producer organizations, allowing them to respond to threats on the local level. The funds are used to strengthen NPPC s mission to enhance and defend the opportunities for U.S. pork producers at home and abroad. The U.S. swine industry, and all food animal production, is continually being threatened by extremist animal rights, vegetarian, and environmental activist groups who want to eliminate all animal agriculture. These groups have been able to mandate the elimination of certain farm practices in Florida, Arizona, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Colorado, and Michigan. The pork industry also faces challenges on the legislative and regulatory fronts from members of Congress and federal agencies who want to ban the use of certain antibiotics, giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to go to your farm to inspect your production records and to greatly increase environmental regulations on farms. As the nation s leading pork producer, Murphy- Brown has long been a strong supporter of NPPC through the voluntary membership in the SIP program. Each year, the company contributes over $1 million to SIP. The owners of approximately 65% of the pigs produced in the U.S. contribute to the SIP program. The SIP program is based on a voluntary annual investment of $.10/$100 of the value of your grower contract. To participate, complete the form that was recently mailed to you and return it in the enclosed postage paid envelope. If you are a Murphy-Brown grower and have not received this information, please contact the Grower Relations Department in your area. Help Murphy-Brown lead the way in setting a positive example for the whole industry by becoming an SIP participant. Investing in SIP is a small price to pay to protect your right to do business!

9 Smithfield Foods Environmental Excellence awards recognize subsidiary personnel that look beyond compliance to focus on pollution prevention, enhanced environmental protection and stewardship, and compliance assurance. The acquisition of hand-held computers to assist farms in their nutrient management programs earned Murphy-Brown the prestigious President s Award for Environmental Excellence in These hand-held computers allow for instance real-time uploading to central Murphy-Brown computers and automated annualized reporting of all facility s metrics. Each President s Award winner received a $3,000 check, of which the entire amount will be donated to a charity of their choice. Murphy-Brown used the money received from the President s Award to provide support for victims of domestic violence and to provide meals to kids on Friday for the weekend when they are not in school. Left: Tonya Cavenaugh, Murphy-Brown land & waste management administrator and Pamela Gonzalez, director of U-Care in Sampson County, NC. Right: Dr. McPherson, School Superintendent of Isle of Wight County, VA schools; Robert Harris, senior engineer with Smithfield Foods; Minette Brooks, Hardy Elementary School; and Joyce McDowell, Principal, Hardy Elementary School. Murphy-Brown on You Tube! If you ve checked out you know there s a video farm tour that allows you to look inside our farms and see firsthand how we put our commitment to product quality, food safety and animal welfare into practice. Recently that same farm tour was posted on You Tube and it s getting a significant number of hits. Check it out for yourself and feel free to share it with friends and family. It s a great way to share what we do! Murphy-Brown was a sponsoring partner with the Clinton Kiwanis Club during their annual Pancake & Sausage Feast in March. Murphy-Brown covered the cost of the sausage, approximately $1,600, making the company the largest single contributor of the event. Kiwanis member Bill Scott said this will have a major impact on what the club will be able to give back to the commnity in terms of support. Pictured left: Bill Scott, Clinton Kiwanis Club, Clinton, North Carolina and Don Butler, director of Government Relations and Public Affairs for Murphy-Brown.

10 Food & Fun Baby Back Ribs Treat your family this Memorial Day with these fall off the bone baby back ribs, dripping with sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Serve with new potatoes, baked beans and your favorite springtime salads. The best ribs you ll ever wrap your lips around ay, d es 22 u T ch r a M 2011 Save the date... Free Admission! Lunch Provided Duplin Events Center 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 195 Fairground Drive Kenansville, North Carolina 2 racks baby back ribs 1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium onion, minced 5 tablespoons butter 2 1/2 cups catsup 1/2 cup dark corn syrup 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup pineapple juice 1/3 cup cider vinegar 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 2 tbs. spicy mustard w/horseradish 2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1 tbs. chili powder 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. liquid smoke 1/2 tsp. black pepper Cooking Directions Melt butter in 2 quart pot. Add onions and garlic. Cook over low heat until onions are soft. Stir in remainder of ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool completely. Cut each rib rack in half. Place in tins and pour a liberal amount of BBQ Sauce over ribs. Cover with tin foil and place in preheated 190 F oven for 9 hours. (Yes, 9 hours!)...for the 2011 Murphy-Brown Vendor Expo Remove from oven. Discard drippings or save for other use. Transfer ribs to grill or place under broiler for about 10 minutes. May be refrigerated and grilled at later time. Serve with extra BBQ sauce. Enjoy!

11 El 9 y 10 de febrero del 2010, el noticiero vespertino de CBS con Katie Couric mostró segmentos en referencia al uso de antibióticos en el ganado. El especial de dos partes fue una revisión parcial y muy negativa de las prácticas modernas de producción pecuaria. Como se predijo, las historias fueron poco menos que un ataque abierto a la producción agropecuaria moderna. Anticipando que los segmentos noticiosos serían negativos, el Consejo Nacional de Productores de Cerdo, el Buró Nacional de Producción Porcícola, la Asociación Americana de Veterinarios Porcícolas, La Asociación Americana de Medicina Veterinaria y otras organizaciones trabajaron para lidiar con la presentación televisiva, proveyendo a CBS acceso a expertos veterinarios para hablar sobre el uso apropiado de antibióticos e información científica exacta sobre la necesidad y beneficios del uso apropiado de los antibióticos. Productores de cerdo también se pusieron a disposición para ser entrevistados. Como se anticipó, muy poca de esta información llegó a ser transmitida. Miembros del congreso y agencias de gobierno fueron alertados sobre la cobertura noticiosa y recibieron información completa y precisa sobre el uso de productos de salud animal en la producción de cerdos. Varios miembros del congreso se prepararon para desacreditar los reportes de CBS y brindar apoyo a los productores. Ellos entendieron que la cadena CBS trató de engañar a sus televidentes haciéndolos Tim Craig es el recién elegido presidente del Concejo del Cerdo de Carolina del Norte. Productor por contrato con Murphy-Brown, LLC, Tim administra una granja de reproducción de 750 cerdas de parto a finalización y una operación de engorda para 4500 cabezas. También es propietario, gerente y operador de Craig y Compañía, LLC una empresa clasificadora originalmente fundada por su familia hace unos 60 años. Tim ha servido como vicepresidente del Consejo Agroindustrial del Condado Chatham. Es graduado de la Universidad Estatal de Carolina del Norte. Además de servir en el buró del Concejo del Cerdo de NC, Tim es miembro de los comités de comunicaciones, educación de los productores y promociones del Consejo. creer que los productos del cerdo no son saludables y que manipularlos o consumirlos podría resultar en resistencia de los humanos a los antibióticos. El hecho es que no existe evidencia científica de que eso sea verdad. Por el contrario, el uso apropiado de los antibióticos, bajo la guía y dirección de un médico veterinario ayuda a mantener sanos a los animales y es precisamente animales saludables lo que se necesita para producir alimentos seguros. Murphy-Brown cuenta con una muy robusta política de uso de antibióticos a la cual se adhieren todos los departamentos de la compañía. Los Veterinarios deben aprobar todos los antibióticos usados para prevenir o tratar enfermedades. La política sobre el uso de antibióticos de Murphy- Brown puede ser consultada en el sitio de Internet de la compañía.

12 Preguntas sobre antibióticos? Pregunta: Por qué se usan antibióticos en la producción de cerdos? Respuesta: Al igual que con humanos, el uso apropiado de antibióticos puede mantener saludables a los animales. Comida saludable es producida con animales saludables. Pregunta: Qué es la Resistencia a antibióticos? Respuesta: Resistencia a los antibióticos se refiere a que las bacterias serían capaces de soportar la exposición a los antibióticos y de hecho, sobrevivir Pregunta: Cómo se usan los antibióticos en la producción de cerdos? Respuesta: Se usan estratégicamente, se administran a cerdos que están enfermos o susceptibles o expuestos a enfermedades. Pregunta: Cuál es la posición de la industria en el uso de antibióticos para producir cerdos? Respuesta: El Consejo Nacional de Productores de Cerdos, cree que es esencial para la salud y bienestar público y del medio ambiente, para mantener la efectividad y disponibilidad de antimicrobianos. Todas las decisiones que afecten su disponibilidad deberán basarse en información científica. Pregunta: No son los antibióticos usados solo por los grandes productores? Respuesta: Una encuesta conducida en el año 2000 por el Sistema Nacional de Monitoreo de Salud Animal (NAHMS por sus siglas en inglés) determinó que el uso de antibióticos no está relacionado con el tamaño de la operación. De hecho, un porcentaje similar de pequeños y grandes productores reportaron usar antibióticos. Pregunta: Además del uso de antibióticos, existen otros factores que impactan la salud animal? Respuesta: Si. El uso de productos de salud animal, incluyendo antibióticos, es sólo una parte de un programa comprehensivo de salud del hato. Bioseguridad, diagnóstico, vacunación, mantenimiento de instalaciones y cuidado de los animales contribuyen al panorama general de salud animal en la granja. Pregunta: Qué más está haciendo la industria para asegurar que la resistencia no se convierta en un problema? Respuesta: Los productores de cerdo están comprometidos a proteger la salud del público y preservar la salud y bienestar animal usando los antibióticos responsablemente. Programas tales como Aseguramiento de Calidad del Cerdo (PQA Plus) se han implementado para abordar el asunto del uso de antibióticos en la producción moderna de cerdos. El resultado es lechones más saludables y una provisión más segura de alimentos. Pregunta: Es seguro usar antibióticos en animales para el consumo? Respuesta: Si. La FDA no aprueba el uso de antibióticos sin antes haber realizado una vigorosa revisión de su efecto en la salud de los animales, los humanos y el medio ambiente. El proceso de aprobación de la FDA es el primero de múltiples pasos para asegurar que los alimentos derivados de animales tratados con antibióticos son seguros. Los granjeros trabajan de cerca con los veterinarios para decidir cuáles antibióticos usar, y estos son administrados cuando los animales se encuentran en mayor riesgo de contraer enfermedades. Además, la FSIS inspecciona cada animal que ingresa y pasa a través de la planta procesadora. FSIS también toma muestras de carne para verificar que no existen residuos de antibióticos en nuestra carne. Pregunta: Que tal las carnes producidas orgánicamente? Son más seguras? Respuesta: No. No existe evidencia científica de que los perfiles nutritivos y de seguridad de carnes orgánicas sean diferentes a los productos convencionalmente producidos. Sólo varían los métodos de cría, manejo y procesamiento.

13 Llega a su fin el período de grandes retos de Butler como presidente de la NPPC Habiendo enfrentado uno de los períodos económicos más difíciles en la historia de la agricultura estadounidense, Don Butler finalizó su período como presidente del Consejo Nacional de Productores de Cerdo durante le Foro Nacional de la Industria Porcícola 2010 el día 5 de marzo en la Ciudad de Kansas, Missouri. Ha sido un tiempo, fascinante, maravilloso, frustrante, deprimente y retador para servir como presiente de la NPPC pero también ha sido un gran honor y una experiencia de aprendizaje que nunca olvidaré, dijo Butler durante sus comentarios de apertura al Forum. Durante el pasado año, la NPPC ha hecho muchas cosas de las que todos debemos estar orgullosos, continuó. Superamos la crisis del H1N1; ayudamos a reabrir los mercados extranjeros; facilitamos un intercambio robusto; previnimos obstáculos en el mercado y cerrado de fronteras en México; obtuvimos compras de la USDA por $250 millones; protegimos a los productores de cerdo contra legislaciones perjudiciales, incluyendo una prohibición de antibióticos; y trabajamos muy de cerca con el Buró Nacional de Productores de Cerdo para beneficio de todos los productores de cerdos. Durante los últimos años, hemos enfrentado una gran cantidad de retos, siendo el más infame la debacle de la influenza H1N1. Comunicaciones globales instantáneamente difundieron el término influenza porcina alrededor del mundo y ello afectó negativamente la demanda global por nuestros productos y cerró muchos mercados extranjeros. Don trabajó diligentemente con los socios en la industria para lograr que los medios noticiosos se refirieran correctamente al virus como H1N1 y para que reafirmar que los productos del cerdo eran alimentos completamente seguros. La demanda fue dañada fuertemente con una pérdida prolongada en la industria de cerca $2 billones. Con la guía de Don, la NPPC hizo grandes avances trabajando para reabrir las fronteras a la exportación, resultando en precios más estables de nuestros productos y una demanda renovada. Otro reto fue la decisión política de EU para avanzar hacia una independencia energética, lo cual inició un incremento significante en la producción de etanol producido con maíz, lo que resultó en aumento permanente a los costos de la industria precios más altos en grano, combustible, fertilizante y otros costos. La enorme oportunidad en adelante es que los EU continúe siendo el mejor, más eficiente lugar en el planeta para criar cerdos. Dijo Butler. Y eso sucederá si las políticas gubernamentales, legislación, regulaciones y ataques de parte de activistas de los derechos de los animales no tienen éxito en colocar suficientes obstáculos en nuestro camino para sacarnos del negocio. Para asegurar que tenemos un futuro y que podemos prevalecer contra todas esas fuerzas, la industria porcícola de los EU no sólo debe mantener su posición actual de fuerte influencia en Washington, sino que debe de convertirse en una fuerza mayor ahí. Tenemos gente de negocios muy inteligente administrando operaciones porcícolas muy sofisticadas, somos muy competitivos globalmente y estamos posicionados para la expansión de intercambio internacional, dijo Butler. Hago un llamado urgente a todos los productores a que hagan lo correcto cada día en su granja para asegurar que sus animales estén seguros, confortables y saludables, proteger el medio ambiente y ser buenos vecinos, concluyó Butler. Obtenga su certificado en PQA Plus y evalúe su sitio, muestre la bandera WE CARE en sus granjas y tome ventaja de cada oportunidad que tenga para decir a otros lo que nos preocupa y nos interesa. Aunque está cediendo su posición como presidente del NPPC, Don permanecerá en el buró y está comprometido a servir y consultar a la organización siempre que se necesite. Como director de relaciones gubernamentales y relaciones públicas de Murphy-Brown, él se apoyará grandemente en sus experiencias y conexiones con el NPPC. En esta posición, él es responsable por el crecimiento de una política de desarrollo, relaciones con los medios e interacción con los oficiales elegidos y regulaciones a nivel local, estatal y nacional. Don, junto con su padre William, es también productor con Murphy-Brown. Como presidente del Consejo Nacional de Productores de Cerdo este año, Don Butler ha realizado un trabajo supremo. Dijo Neil Dierks, oficial ejecutivo en jefe del NPPC. Los asuntos que la industria ha enfrentado han sido retos significativos y Don ha ayudado a proveer liderazgo y estabilidad al avanzar trabajando a favor de la industria y sus productores. Don ha hecho un trabajo excelente y debe ser felicitado. Gracias Don.

14 Dexter Edwards fue reconocido por su sobresaliente servicio a la agricultura Alguna vez se ha preguntado acerca del término agro-negocios? Significa agricultura operada por negocios, específicamente, aquella parte de una economía nacional moderna dedicada a la producción, procesamiento y distribución de alimentos, productos de fibra y bioproductos. Los agro-negocios son los más grandes empleadores en el Condado Duplin, Carolina del Norte. El condado es líder estatal en la venta de productos de valor agrícola*. Butterball LLC y Murphy- Brown LLC son el primer y segundo empleadores en el Condado Duplin. El éxito de estas compañías es establecido con una fuerza laboral inspirada por líderes como Dexter Edwars, director de producción de engorda de Murphy- Brown Este. En esta capacidad, Dexter es responsable por todas las operaciones de engorda de Murphy-Brown al este del Misisipi. Dexter, nativo del Condado Duplin, comenzó su participación en la agroindustria con Carroll s Foods en Durante los pasados 30 años ha sido pieza instrumental en el boom de la producción de cerdos, administrando instalaciones de producción, trabajando en comercialización y transportación, supervisando proyectos de construcción y servicios de producción, así como programas de contratos con productores. Fue director de operaciones de engorda para la división de Murphy-Brown en Kenansville, NC hasta el año pasado, cuando fue promovido a su posición actual. La devoción de Dexter por la agroindustria no termina al salir de su oficina. El y su familia tienen 13 edificios de engorda, tres galeras de pavos y un negocio de ganado con su socio John Smith, con aproximadamente 850 cabezas de ganado de registro y 1,300 acres de pastizales. Dexter fue también presidente del Consejo del Buró de directores de Agronegocios en el Condado Duplin, el cual cada año presente su Premio Melvin G. Cording por Servicios Sobresalientes a la Agricultura. Este año, Dexter recibió esta bien merecida distinción durante la reunión anual del consejo. Este premio se otorga en honor de Melvin G. Cording, un ex-productor de leche con la Compañía Lechera Maola que fue instrumental en la organización del Consejo de Agronegocios del Condado Duplin y miembro ejecutivo del consejo. Recordado por sus elocuentes discursos presentados a sus ávidos oyentes sobre la importancia de la agricultura y la agroindustria. El Premio Melvin G. Cording por Servicio Sobresaliente a la Agricultura fue establecido por el Consejo a su muerte en el año Otros tres productores de contrato con Murphy-Brown recibieron premios durante la reunión. John Dail Garner de Kenansville, NC: recibió el Premio Americano del Cerdo, otorgado a Dexter Edwards productores de cerdos menores de 40 años. Ralph Britt, J. de Calypso, NC: y Donnell Kornegay de Scott s Hill, NC. recibieron premios por producción de maíz y frijol soya. Productores de Carolina del Norte ven cambios en la ubicación de la Conferencia Anual de Productores de Cerdo 2010 Condiciones climáticas inusualmente frías y húmedas no lograron mellar la asistencia o el espíritu de la Conferencia Anual de Productores de Cerdo de Carolina del Norte en febrero. Este año, el evento de dos días se llevó a cabo en conjunción con la Exposición Agrícola del Sur, la más grande en las Carolinas y Virginia, llenando los terrenos de de la Feria Estatal de NC con equipo, expertos e ideas de más de 500 fabricantes. Ambos días, líderes de la industria, inversionistas y economistas de la agroindustria se reunieron en el edificio Martin para discutir el estado actual de la industria con muchas esperanzas de recuperación en el futuro cercano. Como siempre, seminarios con crédito para los Operadores a Cargo estuvieron disponibles para los productores de cerdo y empleados de la industria. La Fiesta Anual del Tocino, el único evento de recaudación de fondos de los miembros para el Comité de Acción Política de la NCPC, se llevó a cabo en el Hotel Marriot de Raleigh. Además de la tradicional rifa revertida por un gran premio de $5,000 y la maravillosa comida, este año el evento ofreció entretenimiento un duelo de piano que hizo que la audiencia riera a más no poder. La Fiesta del Tocino del 2010 fue un éxito, recaudando más de $30,000 para el PAC del Consejo de Productores de Cerdo de Carolina del Norte. Concluyendo el evento se realizó la ceremonia anual de entrega de premios durante la reunión 2010 que estuvo abierta a todos los miembros. Ambos fueron realizados en el Hotel Marriot de Raleigh. Si usted se perdió el estos eventos este año, marque su calendario para la Conferencia Anual del Consejo de Producción de Cerdos a celebrarse en el 2011.

15 Conductores de Murphy-Brown prepararon sus monturas para el Rodeo de Camiones del 2010! tales como Colony Tires, Cooper Leasing, Kenworth, Ledwell y Gregory Poole. Por supuesto, ningún evento familiar está completo sin alimento. El almuerzo fue preparado y servido por el equipo de supervisores de Murphy-Brown de todas las divisiones de transportes, con Whit Porter, supervisor de conductores de la División Warsaw como el cocinero a cargo. Esta competencia no solo da a estos conductores la oportunidad de mostrar sus habilidades, sino que ayuda a la elevación del espíritu y cohesión entre un grupo de individuos cuya experiencia y agilidad detrás del volante de un tracto-camión es esencial para el éxito de la compañía. Nos quitamos el sombrero ante ustedes! Choferes transportadores de Ganado y alimento de la División Este de Murphy- Brown se prepararon para el Séptimo Rodeo Anual de Camiones que se llevó a cabo el 27 de marzo en Kenansville, Carolina del Norte. Cada competidor llegó listo para probar sus habilidades de manejo y mantenimiento y competir por su derecho a presumir por un año. La competencia de tres partes no es cosa fácil. Los conductores debieron completar una ruta con obstáculos y fueron juzgados por sus habilidades de ir en reversa, de maniobrar en esquinas muy cerradas y detenerse en un palmo de terreno. Son incluso juzgados en cómo entran y salen del vehículo. La prueba escrita examina su conocimiento de las leyes y regulaciones del DOT y la prueba previa al viaje demuestra el conocimiento del vehículo de cada conductor. De una posible acumulación de 400 puntos, el conductor ganador tuvo un marcador de 318 puntos. Los cuatro mejores conductores de este evento irán al Rodeo Estatal de Carolina del Norte en mayo. El primer lugar en el rodeo de camiones de Murphy-Brown este año perteneció a Larry Nance de la División de Bladenboro con una calificación de 318. Larry también se llevó el trofeo el año pasado, un logro para un hombre que nunca deja que los obstáculos físicos se atraviesen en su camino. En segundo lugar arribó Cecil Pittman de la División Rose Hill con una puntuación de 317. Tim Titch de la División Laurinburg obtuvo el tercer lugar con 274 puntos. El rodeo de camiones de Murphy- Brown está diseñado para ser un evento familiar, con juegos para los niños premios a la entrada donados por los proveedores Murphy-Brown LLC Our families feed your families! O U R M I S S I O N : To lead the industry by producing a predictable amount of low-cost, high-quality meat; to operate as a responsible business creating sustainable success for our customers, employees, contract growers and shareholders. Going for a ride in the big truck CONTACT US This newsletter is published quarterly by Murphy-Brown LLC. Its purpose is to provide information to producers, employees, and swine industry affiliates. Comments and suggestions may be sent to: Rhonda Campbell, Editor Murphy-Brown LLC P.O. Box 856 Warsaw, North Carolina rhondacampbell@murphybrownllc.com Phone: Fax:

16 Murphy-Brown LLC P.O. Box 856 Warsaw, North Carolina PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Wilmington, NC Permit #42 The annual World Pork Expo will be held June 9 11, 2010 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Thousands of producers and industry professionals from all over the world are expected to be in attendance. China becomes last nation to lift ban on US Pork Nearly a year after nations banned U.S. pork over fears about the H1N1 virus, China has become the last one to lift its embargo and is expected to accept shipments by early next month. This action should help struggling U.S. pork producers. The Asian nation completely closed its market to U.S. pork in late April 2009 in the wake of an outbreak in humans of novel H1N1 influenza, which the media misnamed swine flu. The U.S. pork industry shipped nearly 400,000 metric tons of pork worth nearly $690 million to China/ Hong Kong in 2008, making it the No. # destination for U.S. pork. Last year, U.S. pork exports to China/ Hong Kong were down to under $427 million. Certified producers Nearly 40,000 of America s 67,000 pork producers are certified in Pork Quality Assurance Plus, a continuous improvement educational program that helps assure consumers that we are producing safe, high-quality pork and providing the best possible care for our animals. All of Murphy- Brown s company and contract farms have received PQA Plus certification! Aumenta apoyo para el Programa Estratégico de Inversión Protegiendo su derecho a hacer negocios A estas Alturas, muchos productores de Murphy-Brown han recibido cartas de apoyo al Programa Estratégico de Inversiones (SIP) del Consejo Nacional de Productores de Cerdo. Este programa es la fuente principal de fondos para el Consejo Nacional de Productores de Cerdo. Los productores de cerdo participan realizando inversión voluntaria de un porcentaje del precio de cada cerdo de mercado vendido. Una porción de esta inversión es distribuída como fondos irrestrictos a las organizaciones de productores de cerdo del estado, permitiéndoles responder a las amenazas a nivel local. Los fondos son usados para fortalecer la misión del NPPC de mejorar y defender las oportunidades de los productores de cerdo estadounidenses en el país y en el extranjero. La industria porcícola de EU, y toda la producción de alimentos de origen animal, está continuamente amenazada por grupos extremistas de activistas por los derechos de los animales, vegetarianos y ambientalistas que quieren eliminar toda la industria pecuaria. Estos grupos han logrado hacer obligatoria la eliminación de ciertas prácticas agrícolas en Florida, Arizona, California, Nueva Jersey, Oregón, Colorado y Michigan. La industria porcícola también enfrenta retos en los frentes legislativo y regulatorio de parte de miembros del Congreso y agencias federales que quieren prohibir el uso de ciertos antibióticos, dando a la Administración de Alimentos y Drogas la autoridad de ir a su granja a inspeccionar sus récords de producción e incrementar grandemente las regulaciones ambientales para las granjas. Como líder nacional en la producción de credos, Murphy-Brown ha apoyado por mucho tiempo a la NPPC a través de su membresía voluntaria en el programa SIP. Cada año, la compañía contribuye con más de $1 millón al SIP. Los dueños de aproximadamente el 65% de los cerdos producidos en los EU contribuyen al programa SIP. El programa SIP se basa en una inversión voluntaria anual de $.10/$100 del valor de su contrato de productor. Para participar, complete la forma que le fue enviada por correo recientemente y regrésela en el sobre con porte pagado que se incluyó. Si usted es un productor de contrato con Murphy-Brown y no ha recibido esta información, por favor contacte al Departamento de Relaciones con Productores en su área. Ayude a Murphy-Brown a seguir marcando la pauta en dar el ejemplo positivo por la industria en su totalidad convirtiéndose en un participante del SIP. Es un precio pequeño a pagar por la protección de su derecho ha hacer negocios!