UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13D

                  Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                               (Amendment No. __)*

                              Sanderson Farms, Inc.
                                (Name of Issuer)

                   Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                     800013
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                                Hugh V. Sanderson
                               225 N. 13th Avenue
                            Laurel, Mississippi 39440
                                 (601) 649-4030
           (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized
                    to Receive Notices and Communications)

                               August 16, 2000
           (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Sections 240.13d-1(e),  240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g),  check
the following _.

NOTE:  Schedules  filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five
copies of the  schedule,  including all  exhibits.  Section  240.13d-7 for other
parties to whom copies are to be sent.

*The  remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for  any  subsequent   amendment   containing   information  which  would  alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).








CUSIP No. 800013

1)    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
      I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON (entities only)

            Hugh V. Sanderson

2)    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (See Instructions)

            (a) o
            (b) o

3)    SEC USE ONLY


4)    SOURCE OF FUNDS (See Instructions)

            Not applicable.

5)    CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL  PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED  PURSUANT TO ITEMS
      2(D) OR 2(E)

6)    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

            United States


                        (7)   SOLE VOTING POWER
NUMBER OF SHARES
BENEFICIALLY                  246,209  shares  of  Common  Stock,  $1.00
                              par value per share ("Common Stock")
OWNED BY
EACH                    (8)   SHARED VOTING POWER
REPORTING
PERSON                        3,268,482 shares of Common Stock
WITH
                           (9) SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

                              244,086 shares of Common Stock

                          (10) SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                              3,268,482 shares of Common Stock

11)   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

            3,514,691 shares of Common Stock









12)   CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE  AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES  CERTAIN SHARES (See
      Instructions)

            -
13)   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

            24.0%

14)   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (See Instructions)

            IN





                                  SCHEDULE 13D

Preliminary Statement

      This statement on Schedule 13D is filed on behalf of the Reporting Person,
who was qualified as a co-executor of the Estate of Dewey R. Sanderson, Jr. (the
"Estate") on August 16, 2000.  At that time,  he may be deemed to have  acquired
the beneficial  ownership of 3,268,482  shares of common stock,  par value $1.00
per share, of Sanderson Farms,  Inc. that are beneficially  owned by the Estate.
The Reporting Person disclaims the beneficial ownership of these shares pursuant
to Rule 13d-4 under the Exchange Act.

ITEM 1.  Security and Issuer

      The class of equity  securities  to which  this  statement  relates is the
common  stock,  $1.00 par value per share (the  "Common  Stock"),  of  Sanderson
Farms, Inc. a Mississippi corporation (the "Company"), whose principal executive
offices are located at 225 N. 13th Street, Laurel, Mississippi 39440.

ITEM 2.  Identity and Background.

      (a)   This statement is filed on behalf of Hugh V. Sanderson.

      (b)   Mr.   Sanderson's   address  is  225  N.  13th   Street,   Laurel,
            Mississippi  39440.

      (c)   Mr.  Sanderson is the Corporate Sales Manager of the Company and a
member of the Board of Directors of the Company.

      (d) During the last five years,  Mr. Sanderson has not been convicted in a
criminal proceeding (excluding any traffic violations or similar misdemeanors).

      (e) During the last five years,  Mr.  Sanderson  has not been a party to a
civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent  jurisdiction
as a result of which he was or is subject to a judgment,  order, decree or final
order  enjoining  future  violations of, or prohibiting or mandating  activities
subject  to,  federal or state  securities  laws or finding any  violation  with
respect to such laws.

      (f)   Mr. Sanderson is a United States citizen.

ITEM 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration.

      Not applicable.






ITEM 4.  Purpose of Transaction.

      On August 16, 2000,  Mr.  Sanderson was qualified as a co-executor  of his
father's estate (the "Estate") in place of his mother who had previously  served
as executrix of the Estate,  and  therefore  may be deemed to have  acquired the
beneficial ownership of the Common Stock owned of record by the Estate. Pursuant
to Rule 13d-4 under the Exchange Act, Mr.  Sanderson  disclaims  the  beneficial
ownership of those shares of Common Stock.

      Mr.  Sanderson  does not have any plans or  proposals  that relate to or
would result in any of the following actions:

o     the  acquisition  by any person of additional  securities of the Company
      or  the  disposition  of  securities  of the  Company,  other  than  the
      distribution  of Common Stock of the Estate to the heirs and legatees of
      the  decedent.  These heirs and legatees are  primarily  the  decedent's
      four children who include Mr.  Sanderson and Robert Buck Sanderson,  the
      co-executors of the Estate, as Mrs.  Sanderson's  mother, the decedent's
      widow,  has  disclaimed and renounced any and all interest in the Common
      Stock of the Estate  bequeathed  to her or to which she may otherwise be
      entitled under the Mississippi laws of descent and distribution;

o     an   extraordinary   corporate   transaction,    such   as   a   merger,
      reorganization  or  liquidation,  involving  the  Company  or any of its
      subsidiaries;

o     a sale or transfer of a material  amount of assets of the Company or any
      of its subsidiaries;

o     any change in the present board of directors or management of the Company,
      including any plans or proposals to change the number or term of directors
      or to fill any vacancies on the board;

o     any material change in the present  capitalization or dividend policy of
      the Company;

o     any  other  material  change  in the  Company's  business  or  corporate
      structure;

o     changes in the Company's charter,  by-laws or instruments  corresponding
      thereto or other actions which may impede the  acquisition of control of
      the Company by any person;

o     causing  a class  of  securities  of the  Company  to be  delisted  from a
      national  securities exchange or to cease to be authorized to be quoted in
      an  inter-dealer  quotation  system of a  registered  national  securities
      association;

o     causing a class of  securities  of the  Company to become  eligible  for
      termination  of  registration   pursuant  to   Section 12(g)(4)  of  the
      Exchange Act; or






o     any action similar to any of those enumerated above.

      Mr.  Sanderson  is an officer and  director  of the Company  and, as such,
participates in deliberations of the Board of Directors and Executive  Committee
that could involve actions such as the foregoing from time to time.

ITEM 5.  Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

      (a) Mr.  Sanderson is the beneficial  owner of 3,514,691  shares of Common
Stock,  representing  approximately  24.0% of the shares of Common  Stock of the
Company outstanding.

      (b)  Of  the  3,514,691   shares  of  Common  Stock  reported   herein  as
beneficially  owned by Mr.  Sanderson,  he is the record owner of 244,086 shares
and, as such, has the sole power to vote or to direct the vote and to dispose or
to direct the disposition of these shares.

      Mr.  Sanderson is the  beneficial  owner of 2,123 shares  allocated to his
account in the  Company's  Employee  Stock Option Plan ("ESOP") and has the sole
power to vote or to direct the vote of these  shares.  The  trustees of the ESOP
share the power to dispose or to direct the disposition of these 2,123 shares.

      Mr. Sanderson may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of 3,268,482 shares
as the  co-executor  of the  Estate  and,  as  such,  shares  with  Robert  Buck
Sanderson,  as  co-executors,  the  power to vote or to  direct  the vote and to
dispose or to direct the disposition of these 3,268,482 shares. Pursuant to Rule
13d-4 of the Exchange Act, Mr. Sanderson  disclaims the beneficial  ownership of
the 3,268,482 shares owned of record by the Estate.

      The  business  address  of Robert  Buck  Sanderson,  who  serves  with Mr.
Sanderson as co-executors,  is 225 N. 13th Street, Laurel, Mississippi 39440. He
is the  Corporate  Sales  Manager  of the  Company  and a member of the Board of
Directors of the Company.  During the last five years, Robert Buck Sanderson has
not  been  (a)  convicted  in  a  criminal  proceeding  (excluding  any  traffic
violations and similar  misdemeanors)  or (b) a party to a civil proceeding of a
judicial or administrative  body of competent  jurisdiction as a result of which
he was or is subject  to a  judgment,  order,  decree or final  order  enjoining
future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal
or state  securities  laws or finding any  violation  with respect to such laws.
Robert Buck Sanderson is a citizen of the United States.

      (c)  During  the past sixty  days,  Mr.  Sanderson  has not  effected  any
transactions  involving the Common Stock of the Company, other than as described
in Item 6.






      (d) The Estate has the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt
of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the 3,268,482  shares owned
of  record by the  Estate  and  reported  herein  as  beneficially  owned by Mr.
Sanderson,  and this  interest  relates  to more  than 5% of the class of Common
Stock  outstanding.   Pursuant  to  Rule  13d-4,  Mr.  Sanderson  disclaims  the
beneficial ownership of these shares.

      (e)   Not applicable.

ITEM  6.  Contracts,   Arrangements,   Understandings  or  Relationships  With
Respect to Securities of the Issuer.

      Pursuant to a Pledge  Agreement dated as of September 2, 2000 (the "Pledge
Agreement")  by and between Union  Planters  Bank,  N.A. (the  "Lender") and the
Co-Executors  of Estate,  not  individually  but solely in their  capacities  as
co-executors,  the Estate  pledged  1,703,364  of its shares of Common  Stock to
secure its obligations  under the Credit Agreement dated as of September 2, 2000
(the "Credit  Agreement")  by and between the Lender and the  Co-Executors,  not
individually  but solely as  co-executors.  The  Credit  Agreement  pertains  to
borrowings  of  $6,148,050,  the  proceeds of which were used  primarily  to pay
estate taxes.  Copies of the Credit Agreement and the Pledge Agreement are filed
as exhibits to the  Amendment No. 1 to Schedule 13D filed by the Estate of Dewey
R. Sanderson, Jr. on September 22, 2000.

      Description  of the contents of any document  referred to in this Schedule
13D and  filed as an  exhibit  hereto or  incorporated  by  reference  herein is
necessarily  not  complete  and,  in  each  instance,  reference  is made to the
document  itself  which is filed  as an  exhibit  herewith  or  incorporated  by
reference herein.

ITEM 7.  Material to be Filed as Exhibits.

EXHIBIT 1         Credit  Agreement dated as of September 2, 2000 among Robert
                  Buck Sanderson and Hugh V. Sanderson,  not  individually but
                  solely as  co-executors of the Estate of Dewey R. Sanderson,
                  Jr., deceased,  and Union Planters Bank, N.A.  (incorporated
                  by  reference  to Exhibit 1 to  Amendment  No. 1 to Schedule
                  13D  filed  by the  Estate  of Dewey R.  Sanderson,  Jr.  on
                  September 22, 2000).

EXHIBIT 2         Pledge  Agreement  dated  as of  September  2,  2000  by and
                  between  Robert Buck  Sanderson and Hugh V.  Sanderson,  not
                  individually  but  solely as  co-executors  of the Estate of
                  Dewey R. Sanderson,  Jr., deceased, and Union Planters Bank,
                  N.A.  (incorporated  by  reference to Exhibit 2 to Amendment
                  No.  1 to  Schedule  13D  filed  by the  Estate  of Dewey R.
                  Sanderson, Jr. on September 22, 2000).






SIGNATURE.

      After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my knowledge  and belief,  I
certify that the information  set forth in this statement is true,  complete and
correct.





                                          /s/Hugh V. Sanderson
                                          Hugh V. Sanderson


Dated: September 22, 2000