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DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Tables)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value [Table Text Block]
 Information regarding the Company’s outstanding derivative instruments and cash collateral posted with (owed to) brokers is included in the following table:
March 31, 2013        December 30, 2012
(Fair values in thousands)
Fair values:
       Commodity derivative assets $       5,077 $        1,821
       Commodity derivative liabilities (2,778 ) (1,530 )
       Cash collateral posted with (owed to) brokers (1,501 ) (166 )
       Foreign currency derivative liabilities (42 )
Derivatives coverage(a):
       Corn (0.3 )% %
       Soybean meal 0.5 % %
       Period through which stated percent of needs are covered:
              Corn March 2014 December 2013
              Soybean meal December 2013 December 2013
Written put options outstanding(b):
       Fair value $ (953 ) $
       Number of contracts:
              Corn 500
       Expiration dates May 2013 N/A
Short positions on outstanding futures instruments(b):
       Fair value $ 4,909 $ 1,464
       Number of contracts:
              Corn 1,469 584
              Soybean meal 895 269
 
(a)        Derivatives coverage is the percent of anticipated commodity needs covered by outstanding derivative instruments through a specified date.
(b)   A written put option is an option that the Company has sold that grants the holder the right, but not the obligation, to sell the underlying asset at a certain price for a specified period of time. When the Company takes a short position on a futures derivative instrument, it agrees to sell the underlying asset in the future at a price established on the contract date. The Company writes put options and takes short positions on futures derivative instruments to minimize the impact of feed ingredients price volatility on its operating results.