Sanderson urges shareholder “No” vote on antibiotic free proposal

 Shareholders in Sanderson Farms Inc. will vote on a several proposals during the company’s annual meeting Feb. 15, including a request for the company to transition to antibiotic-free (ABF) chicken production. The Sanderson Farms board is recommending a “no” on the ABF proposal. The company remains the only large poultry processor that has not committed to transitioning to antibiotic-free chicken production. In a securities filing, Sanderson said an oversupply of ABF poultry was among the reasons the board advised against adopting the proposal. Citing industry data as the basis for its claims of oversupply, the company said consumers of antibiotic-free chicken primarily seek boneless breast meat and chicken tenders, while wings and dark meat of ABF chickens are sold into conventional markets.