UPDATED: Pig industry contributes to help Haiti

20-01-2010 | Home | News

Several companies in the pig and pork industry have put money together to give aid to Haiti, which was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake last week Tuesday.

ConAgra Foods, whose corporate headquarters is in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, is joining in to help the cause and has just donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross for its International Relief Fund, to assist the Red Cross response in Haiti.

In 2008, following the disasters in Myanmar and China, the ConAgra Foods Foundation extended its support to the Red Cross International Relief Fund to effectively reach people in disaster-ravaged areas where aid is needed most as quickly as possible.

Tyson Foods
US pork processor Tyson Foods is matching employee donations up to $100,000 for Haiti disaster relief efforts. The contributions will go to the Salvation Army, which has personnel on-site and is preparing one million ready-to-eat meals to send to Haiti.©

Tyson is also exploring ways to provide in-kind relief to accountable organisations providing assistance in Haiti.

Hormel Foods
Food and meat producer Hormel Foods, processing e.g. poultry and pork, announced it will match employee donations up to $25,000 for relief efforts, with all contributions supporting the American Red Cross.

“Hormel Foods employees are saddened by the devastation caused by the earthquake and want to help,” said Julie H. Craven, vice president of corporate communications. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this disaster, as well as the relief volunteers and organisations.”

Cargill
Feed and food company Cargill has made an initial corporate donation of $50,000 that will be directed to long-time Cargill partners CARE and the World Food Programme, which have significant operations in the country.

In the Twin Cities, Cargill volunteers at its headquarters facility packaged 20,000 meals yesterday for the nonprofit Kids Against Hunger, which will be sent directly to people in Haiti; Cargill volunteers will be packaging an additional 30,000 meals over the next month.

Novartis

Pharmaceutical company Novartis, also active on the pig health market, announced that it will provide an equivalent of over©US$2.5 million in immediate emergency aid for victims. Support includes direct financial assistance to relief organizations and donation of essential medicines, including antibiotic and pain relieving drugs.

Employees encouraged to make personal contributions to nationally recognised relief organisations to be matched with company funds.

• Novartis