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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. _____________)*
SMITHFIELD FOODS, INC.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, par value $0.50 per share
----------------------------------------------------------
(Title of Class of Securities)
83224810
----------------------------------------------------------
(CUSIP Number)
Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement /x/. (A fee
is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7).
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities,
and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see
the Notes).
Page 1 of __ pages
<PAGE> 2
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CUSIP No. 83224810 13G Page 2 of 9 Pages
---------------------- ----- -----
<S> <C>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
BAT Industries p.l.c
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) / /
(b) / /
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
England
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
NUMBER OF
SHARES -0-
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY
EACH ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
PERSON
WITH 1,477,600
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
-0-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
1,477,600
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,477,600
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* / /
N.A.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
9.01%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
HC
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
Page 2 of __ pages
<PAGE> 3
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CUSIP No. 83224810 13G Page 3 of 9 Pages
---------------------- ----- -----
<S> <C>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Farmers Group, Inc.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) / /
(b) / /
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Nevada
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
NUMBER OF
SHARES -0-
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY
EACH ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
PERSON
WITH 1,477,600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
-0-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
1,477,600
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,477,600
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* / /
N.A.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
9.01%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IC
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
Page 3 of __ pages
<PAGE> 4
Page 4 of 9 Pages
Item 1 (a). Name of Issuer:
SMITHFIELD FOODS, INC.
Item 1 (b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive
Office:
501 North Church Street
Smithfield, Virginia 23430
Item 2(a). Name of Person Filing:
BAT Industries p.l.c, an English corporation
("BAT"), and Farmers Group, Inc. ("Farmers"),
a Nevada corporation; Farmers is the
beneficial owner of the Issuer's securities
identified in Item 2(d) below through various
subsidiaries of Farmers, by insurance
exchanges for which Farmers acts as
attorney-in-fact or by benefit plans for
employees of Farmers and its subsidiaries for
which Farmers has investment discretion. No
such entity beneficially owns in excess of 5%
of the class of shares in respect of which
this report is being made; and BAT may be
deemed to be the indirect beneficial owner of
such securities by indirectly owning 100% of
the issued and outstanding shares of Farmers
through BAT's wholly-owned subsidiary, South
Western Nominees Limited. The filing of this
statement by BAT shall not be construed as an
admission that BAT is, for the purposes of
Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Act or under
the laws or regulations of the United
Kingdom, the beneficial owner of any
securities covered by this statement.
Item 2(b). Address of Principal Business Office or, if
none, Residence:
BAT Industries p.l.c
Windsor House
50 Victoria Street
London SW1H ONL
England
Farmers Group, Inc.
4680 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90010
USA
Item 2(c). Citizenship:
BAT Industries p.l.c - England
Farmers Group, Inc. - Nevada
Page 4 of __ pages
<PAGE> 5
Page 5 of 9 Pages
Item 2(d). Title of Class of Securities:
Common stock, par value $0.50 per share
Item 2(e). CUSIP Number: 83224810
Item 3. This statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b) by
BAT, a Parent Holding Company, in accordance with
subsection 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G), and by Farmers
Group, Inc., an Insurance Company incorporated under
the laws of Nevada.
Item 4. Ownership:
(a) Amount Beneficially Owned:
1,477,600
The shares being reported were acquired by
various subsidiaries of Farmers Group, Inc.
by insurance exchanges for which Farmers
Group, Inc., acts as attorney-in-fact or by
benefit plans for employees of Farmers
Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries for which
Farmers Group, Inc. has investment
discretion. No such entity beneficially
owns in excess of 5% of the class of shares
in respect of which this report is being
made.
(b) Percent of Class:
9.01%
(c) Number of shares as to which person has:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
(i) sole voting power: -0-
(ii) shared voting power: 1,477,600
(iii) sole disposition power: -0-
(iv) shared disposition power: 1,477,600
</TABLE>
Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
Not Applicable.
Page 5 of __ pages
<PAGE> 6
Page 6 of 9 Pages
Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of
Another Person:
Not Applicable.
Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary
Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the
Parent Holding Company:
See Exhibit I.
Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the
Group:
Not Applicable.
Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of the Group:
Not Applicable.
Item 10. Certification:
By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, the securities referred to
above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business and were not acquired for the purpose of and
do not have the effect of changing or influencing the
control of the issuer of such securities and were not
acquired in connection with or as a participant in
any transaction having such purposes or effect.
Page 6 of __ pages
<PAGE> 7
Page 7 of 9 Pages
SIGNATURES
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true,
complete and correct.
BAT Industries p.l.c
Dated February 6, 1996 By: /s/ ANTHONY ROBERT HOLLIMAN
-----------------------------------
Name: Anthony Robert Holliman
Title: Assistant Corporate
Secretary
Page 7 of __ pages
<PAGE> 8
Page 8 of 9 Pages
SIGNATURES
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true,
complete and correct.
FARMERS GROUP, Inc.
Dated February 6, 1996 By: /s/ MARYANN SELTZER
-----------------------------------
Name: Maryann Seltzer
Title: Corporate Secretary
Page 8 of __ pages
<PAGE> 9
Page 9 of 9 Pages
Exhibit I
This Statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b) by BAT Industries p.l.c, a
Parent Holding Company, in accordance with subsection 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G),
with respect to securities held by Farmers Group, Inc., an Insurance Company
incorporated under the laws of Nevada.
Page 9 of __ pages
