Tyson Foods' plans to build poultry houses in China are progressing, as the company hopes to assure Chinese consumers that Tyson Foods chicken products are safe from avian influenza. With Chinese consumers still wary of chicken because of recent outbreaks of the disease, Tyson Foods plans to grow its own chickens while using strong biosecurity measures at company farms in China.
Donnie Smith, CEO of Tyson Foods, reported on the company's plans for China on August 5 during the company's third-quarter 2013 earnings call with shareholders.
While Tyson Foods reported at the end of its second quarter that land-use issues were the biggest roadblock in getting poultry houses built in China, Smith reported that the company is "getting a little better at acquiring land.
"Plans are going well at getting those houses built, and getting this company-controlled production through as quickly as possible," said Smith. "We feel really good about the future."
By not buying chickens from outside sources in China, and by using the most modern biosecurity methods in its growing operations, Tyson Foods hopes its chickens will be the preferred poultry product in China.
