Smithfield not mired by falling hog prices.(Business) From: The Virginian Pilot | Date: April 8, 2005 | COPYRIGHT 2005 The Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of the Dialog Corporation by Gale Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: MICHAEL DAVIS

BY MICHAEL DAVIS

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

With pork stockpiles at six-year highs and livestock supplies ample, hog prices have been stuck in the mud.

But meat giant Smithfield Foods Inc. believes profits from its $1.5-billion hog-farming business should be solid for at least the rest of this year.

"We think we've still got a good run" of earnings from live hogs, said Jerry Hostetter, vice president of investo...