Apr 25, 2005 9:23 AM, from staff and wire reports

Pilgrim’s Pride reported record net income of $56.4 million for the second fiscal quarter ended April 2, 2005, an increase of $23.4 million, or 71%, compared with net income of $33.0 million in the second quarter ended April 3, 2004.

The Pittsburg TX-based poultry producer also reported net sales of $1.375 billion for the 2005 second fiscal quarter, a slight decrease versus net sales of $1.385 billion for the same period a year earlier.

For the six months ended April 2, 2005, Pilgrim’s Pride reported net income surged 142.6% to $104.9 million, a gain of $61.7 million compared with net income of $43.2 million for the six months ended April 3, 2004. The company also reported net sales of $2.744 billion for the first six months of fiscal 2005, an increase of $315 million versus net sales of $2.429 billion for the same period a year ago.