Water quality in the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast is a priority for Sanderson Farms.
“For the people who live in Mississippi, the Gulf Coast is a way of life. That is our go to spot when we need to rest and relax.” Pic Billingsley, director of development and engineering for Sanderson Farms, said during Farming Along the Mississippi for Generations to Come.
“We have a huge responsibility to make sure as part of an agricultural entity that we do our part to make sure that we don’t impact the environment.”
Why water quality is a priority
The poultry industry needs to be constantly striving for new ways to improve the water quality of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River, as well as other waterways and watersheds.
During the webinar, Billingsley hypothesized that the industry would rely on new technologies to protect the environment and watershed health in the next 20-30 years.
“It’s our job. When we look back, we don’t want them to look to our generation and ask where were you looking and what were you thinking. We need to do our part,” he added.
For example, new poultry facilities – from hatcheries to broiler houses to processing plants – should take environmental impact into consideration during construction. This process creates storm- and wastewater that can cause issues downstream for the Mississippi Gulf. Responsible organizations will treat storm- and wastewater before disposal.
“It will never get as good as we need it to get,” concluded Billingsley. “It ought to be something that’s a continuous process. We need to walk in the door every day and ask how we can minimize our footprint here on this earth.”
Sanderson Farms to merge with Wayne Farms
On August 9, Cargill and Continental Grain Company reached an agreement with Sanderson Farms in which Cargill and Continental Grain would form a joint venture and acquire Sanderson Farms for $4.53 billion, or $203 per share.
If the acquisition comes into fruition, Sanderson Farms would merge with Wayne Farms, a poultry integrator owned by Continental Grain.
According to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, Sanderson Farms is the third largest poultry company in the United States, while Wayne Farms is the seventh. Sanderson Farms produced 94.31 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis, while Wayne Farms produced 48.8 million pounds weekly.
Like what you just read? Sign up now for free to receive the Poultry Future Newsletter
