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LEASE OBLIGATIONS, COMMITMENTS AND GUARANTEES | 12 Months Ended
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Apr. 29, 2012
Lease Obligations, Commitments and Guarantee [Abstract] |
LEASE OBLIGATIONS, COMMITMENTS AND GUARANTEES | LEASE OBLIGATIONS, COMMITMENTS AND GUARANTEES Lease Obligations We lease facilities and equipment under non-cancelable operating leases. The terms of each lease agreement vary and may contain renewal or purchase options. Rental payments under operating leases are charged to expense on the straight-line basis over the period of the lease. Rental expense under operating leases of real estate, machinery, vehicles and other equipment was $46.5 million, $42.3 million and $49.3 million in fiscal 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Future rental commitments under non-cancelable operating leases as of April 29, 2012 are as follows:
Fiscal Year |  | (in millions)
2013 |  | $ | 41.5 |
2014 |  | 29.4 |
2015 |  | 22.7 |
2016 |  | 17.6 |
2017 |  | 14.2 |
Thereafter |  | 43.6 |
Total |  | $ | 169.0 |
As of April 29, 2012, future minimum lease payments under capital leases were approximately $27.6 million. The present value of the future minimum lease payments was $27.1 million. The long-term portion of capital lease obligations was $26.1 million and $27.1 million as of April 29, 2012 and May 1, 2011, respectively, and the current portion was $1.0 million and $0.5 million as of April 29, 2012 and May 1, 2011, respectively. Commitments We have agreements, expiring through fiscal 2022, to use cold storage warehouses owned by partnerships, of which we are 50% partners. We have agreed to pay prevailing competitive rates for use of the facilities, subject to aggregate guaranteed minimum annual fees. In fiscal 2012, 2011 and 2010, we paid $14.0 million, $18.2 million and $19.7 million, respectively, in fees for use of the facilities. We had investments in the partnerships of $2.2 million as of April 29, 2012, and $2.3 million as of May 1, 2011, respectively. We have purchase commitments with certain livestock producers that obligate us to purchase all the livestock that these producers deliver. Other arrangements obligate us to purchase a fixed amount of livestock. We also use independent farmers and their facilities to raise hogs produced from our breeding stock in exchange for a performance-based service fee payable upon delivery. We estimate the future obligations under these commitments based on available commodity livestock futures prices and internal projections about future hog prices, expected quantities delivered and anticipated performance. Our estimated future obligations under these commitments are as follows:
Fiscal Year |  | (in millions)
2013 |  | $ | 1,814.7 |
2014 |  | 1,194.0 |
2015 |  | 1,126.2 |
2016 |  | 892.6 |
2017 |  | 878.8 |
As of April 29, 2012, we were also committed to purchase approximately $228.7 million under forward grain contracts payable in fiscal 2013. As of April 29, 2012, we had total estimated remaining capital expenditures of $101.8 million on approved projects. These projects are expected to be funded with cash flows from operations and/or borrowings under credit facilities. Guarantees As part of our business, we are a party to various financial guarantees and other commitments as described below. These arrangements involve elements of performance and credit risk that are not included in the consolidated balance sheets as of April 29, 2012. We could become liable in connection with these obligations depending on the performance of the guaranteed party or the occurrence of future events that we are unable to predict. If we consider it probable that we will become responsible for an obligation, we will record the liability on our consolidated balance sheet. We (together with our joint venture partners) guarantee financial obligations of certain unconsolidated joint ventures. The financial obligations are: up to $87.0 million of debt borrowed by Agroindustrial del Noroeste (Norson), of which $58.0 million was outstanding as of April 29, 2012, and up to $3.5 million of liabilities with respect to currency swaps executed by another of our unconsolidated Mexican joint ventures, Granjas Carroll de Mexico. The covenants in the guarantee relating to Norson’s debt incorporate our covenants under the Inventory Revolver. In addition, we continue to guarantee a lease obligation of $11.3 million that was assumed by JBS in connection with the sale of Smithfield Beef, Inc. This lease guarantee may remain in place until the lease expires in February 2022.

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