US meat company Smithfield Foods has announced two appointments to its board of directors.

The pork group has added Richard Crowder, professor of international trade at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Margaret Lewis, president of HCA Virginia Health System’s Capital Division, to its board.

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“I am confident that Smithfield will benefit from the vast experience and valuable insights of these two established leaders as we continue to grow this company,” C. Larry Pope, Smithfield’s president and CEO, said today (9 March).

In addition, the company said that Gaoning Ning, chairman of Cofco in China, has resigned as a member of the company’s board. Pope emphasised that his departure would not impact Smithfield’s relationship with either China or Cofco.

“As the leading consumer of pork, China remains an important export market for Smithfield, and we look forward to continuing to foster our relationship with Cofco,” he said. “We maintain a positive outlook for US pork exports and foresee many future business opportunities for Smithfield and China.”

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