AgStar Financial, Tyson Foods Lend Support

AgStar Financial Services, a top lender to the U.S. pork industry, and Tyson Foods Inc., one of the nation’s leading pork processors, today at the World Pork Expo pledged their support for the pork industry’s “We Care” responsible pork initiative, a move welcomed by the National Pork Producers Council. 

The “We Care” program was developed by NPPC and the National Pork Board to help demonstrate that pork producers are committed to caring for their animals, producing safe food, protecting the environment and public health and giving back to the communities in which they live. The initiative also includes the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus program, which provides pork producers guidelines on food safety and animal well-being. Producers can become PQA Plus-certified by adhering to the guidelines and undergoing an on-farm assessment of their production practices.

AgStar Financial presented NPPC and the Pork Board $50,000, which will be used to develop and maintain a Web site dedicated to the “We Care” initiative. The site is expected to be launched soon.

Tyson Foods donated $10,000, which will be used to help conduct on-farm assessments. It also announced that it will require all of its hog suppliers to become PQA Plus-certified by June 30, 2010; suppliers will need to have their operations assessed by Dec. 31, 2010.

Tyson joins Hormel Foods, Hatfield Quality Meats, JBS Swift, Farmer John, Independent Meats and others in supporting the “We Care” program and in requiring hog suppliers to become PQA Plus-certified and to conduct on-farm assessments.

“We are extremely appreciative of AgStar and Tyson for their public endorsement of the ‘We Care’ program,” said R.C. Hunt, chairman of the “We Care” Advisory Group and a pork producer from Wilson, N.C. “Their support is vital, and we hope that other industry partners will join them in backing an initiative that shows the commitment that pork producers have to being conscientious in raising their animals, producing safe food and protecting the land, water and air.”

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