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Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation | 9 Months Ended
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Oct. 03, 2015
Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation |
Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation | Note 1 – Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Seaboard Corporation and its domestic and foreign subsidiaries (“Seaboard”). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Seaboard’s investments in non-consolidated affiliates are accounted for by the equity method. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements of Seaboard for the year ended December 31, 2014 as filed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K. Seaboard’s first three quarterly periods include approximately 13 weekly periods ending on the Saturday closest to the end of March, June and September. Seaboard’s year-end is December 31. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for a full year. As Seaboard conducts its commodity trading business with third parties, consolidated subsidiaries and non-consolidated affiliates on an interrelated basis, gross margin on non-consolidated affiliates cannot be clearly distinguished without making numerous assumptions primarily with respect to mark-to-market accounting for commodity derivatives. Use of Estimates The preparation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include those related to allowance for doubtful accounts, valuation of inventories, impairment of long-lived assets, potential write-down related to investments in and advances to affiliates and notes receivable from affiliates, income taxes and accrued pension liability. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Supplemental Non-Cash Transactions Seaboard has notes receivable from affiliates which accrue pay-in-kind interest income, primarily from one affiliate as discussed in Note 9. Seaboard recognized $4,309,000 and $13,074,000 of non-cash, pay-in-kind interest income and accretion of discount for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015, respectively, and $3,976,000 and $11,511,000 for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2014, respectively, related to these notes receivable. As more fully described in Note 9, as of September 27, 2014 Seaboard’s Pork segment sold to Triumph Foods LLC (“Triumph”) a 50% interest in its processed meats division, Daily’s Premium Meats, LLC (“Daily’s”). As a result, Seaboard deconsolidated Daily’s from its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 27, 2014. The following table summarizes the non-cash transactions resulting from this deconsolidation:
(Thousands of dollars) | September 27, 2014
Decrease in net working capital |  | $ | 19,349 |
Increase in investment in and advances to affiliates |  |  | (72,500) |
Decrease in fixed assets |  |  | 16,038 |
Decrease in goodwill |  |  | 28,372 |
Decrease in other intangible assets, net (not subject to amortization) |  |  | 17,000 |
Decrease in noncontrolling interest |  |  | (151) |
Gain on sale of controlling interest in subsidiary |  |  | 64,392 |
Net proceeds from sale of controlling interest in subsidiary |  | $ | 72,500 |
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance to develop a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. This guidance requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. This guidance will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. Seaboard is currently evaluating the impact this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Seaboard will be required to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2018 and it is currently anticipated that Seaboard will apply this guidance using the cumulative effect transition method. In July 2015, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the subsequent measurement of inventory; excluding inventory measured using last-in, first out or the retail inventory method. Under the new standard, inventory should be at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. Seaboard is analyzing the impact of this new standard and, at this time, cannot estimate the impact of adoption on net earnings. Change in Accounting Method During the second quarter of 2015, Seaboard invested an additional $10,000,000 in a business operating a 300 megawatt electricity generating facility in the Dominican Republic. This investment increased Seaboard's ownership interest to 29.9% from less than 20%. Seaboard's previous investment of $5,910,000 was accounted for using the cost method and as a result of this additional investment, Seaboard changed its accounting method to the equity method. This change in accounting requires Seaboard to present its prior period financial results to reflect the equity method of accounting from the date of the initial investment which resulted in a $12,691,000 adjustment to retained earnings and a corresponding increase to its investment as of January 1, 2014. The results for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014, which represents Seaboard's portion of the income (losses) incurred by the investee were not material. There is no tax impact to Seaboard on these amounts. See Note 9 for more information.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51801978&loc=d3e6003-108592 + Details
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