Sanderson Farms, Inc., Laurel, Miss., selected a new location for the construction of its next poultry complex. The new big bird de-boning complex will consist of a feed mill, hatchery, poultry processing plant and wastewater facility, all located in and near Palestine, Texas.

“The state of Texas has been an outstanding place for Sanderson Farms to do business. We look forward to the new marketing opportunities the new facility will create for us in this important region,” says Joe Sanderson, Jr., chairman and CEO. “However, construction of the new facility remains on hold until we have better visibility on future prices and availability of grain, and is subject to other contingencies, including obtaining necessary permits, negotiating construction contracts, completing construction and obtaining board approval to move forward with the project.”

“As we look to the year ahead, we are cautiously optimistic that the national economic recovery is beginning to gain traction. At the same time, we see challenges ahead for our industry with expected higher grain costs. We also do not expect to see a meaningful improvement in demand from our foodservice customers until the national employment situation improves and consumers begin to dine out again on a consistent basis. While we acknowledge these more immediate challenges, we will continue to manage Sanderson Farms for the long term. This strategy has historically served us well throughout the cycles that characterize our industry. With a strong financial position, we will execute this same strategy in fiscal 2013,” Sanderson adds.