ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The consolidated condensed financial statements have been prepared by Tyson Foods, Inc. (“Tyson,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”). Certain information and accounting policies and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Although we believe the disclosures contained herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading, these consolidated condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2013. Preparation of consolidated condensed financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated condensed financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

We believe the accompanying consolidated condensed financial statements contain all adjustments, which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary to state fairly our financial position as of March 29, 2014, and the results of operations for the three and six months ended March 29, 2014, and March 30, 2013. Results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year.

CONSOLIDATION

The consolidated condensed financial statements include the accounts of all wholly-owned subsidiaries, as well as majority-owned subsidiaries over which we exercise control and, when applicable, entities for which we have a controlling financial interest or variable interest entities for which we are the primary beneficiary. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES

We have an investment in a joint venture, Dynamic Fuels LLC (Dynamic Fuels), in which we have a 50 percent ownership interest. Dynamic Fuels qualifies as a variable interest entity for which we consolidate as we are the primary beneficiary. At March 29, 2014, Dynamic Fuels had $154 million of total assets, of which $137 million was net property, plant and equipment, and $114 million of total liabilities, of which $100 million was long-term debt. At September 28, 2013, Dynamic Fuels had $166 million of total assets, of which $142 million was net property, plant and equipment, and $113 million of total liabilities, of which $100 million was long-term debt.

SHARE REPURCHASES

A summary of cumulative share repurchases of our Class A stock is as follows (in millions):



	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	March 29, 2014			March 30, 2013			March 29, 2014			March 30, 2013
	Shares	Dollars		Shares	Dollars		Shares	Dollars		Shares	Dollars
Shares repurchased:
Under share repurchase program	2.5	$	100	2.1	$	50	7.1	$	250	7.2	$	150
To fund certain obligations under equity compensation plans	0.4	16		1.1	23		0.7	25		1.9	38
Total share repurchases	2.9	$	116	3.2	$	73	7.8	$	275	9.1	$	188

On January 30, 2014, our Board of Directors approved an increase of 25 million shares authorized for repurchase under our share repurchase program. As of March 29, 2014, 32.1 million shares remained available for repurchases under this program. The share repurchase program has no fixed or scheduled termination date and the timing and extent to which we repurchase shares will depend upon, among other things, our working capital needs, markets, industry conditions, liquidity targets, limitations under our debt obligations and regulatory requirements. In addition to the share repurchase program, we purchase shares on the open market to fund certain obligations under our equity compensation plans.

RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In December 2011 and February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance enhancing disclosures related to offsetting of certain assets and liabilities. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. We adopted this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The adoption did not have a significant impact on our consolidated condensed financial statements.

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In April 2014, the FASB issued guidance changing the criteria for reporting discontinued operations. The guidance also modifies the related disclosure requirements. The guidance is effective on a prospective basis for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. This new guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated condensed financial statements.