Apr 26, 2004 1:12 PM, from staff and wire reports

Tyson Foods Inc, the Springdale AR-based meat processor and marketer, reported earnings of $119 million for the second fiscal quarter ended March 27, 2004, compared with $72 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Second-quarter 2004 sales were $6.2 billion versus $5.8 billion for the same period a year earlier. Operating income was $263 million compared with $183 million and earnings were $119 million versus $72 million for the same period a year ago.

Sales for the first six months of fiscal 2004 were $12.7 billon compared with $11.6 billion for the same period a year ago. Operating income for the first six months of fiscal 2004 was $424 million versus $328 million for the same period in 2003, and earnings were $176 million compared with $111 million for the same period a year earlier.