Smithfield Foods Inc., which has recently been under fire for its practice of using gestation crates for its pregnant sows, pledged to put an end to the usage of the crates by 2017. By the end of this year, 30 percent of the sows at its farms will be in group housing instead of crates, reports the Associated Press.
“(Our customers) want us to do that, and we’ve heard them loud and clear,” CEO Larry Pope said in a conference call with investors regarding its second-quarter financial results. “This company is going to do what’s in the best interest of the business and the best interest of our customers.”