EXHIBIT 10.1

                           NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION

         AGRIBRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (the "Company"), effective May 12, 1998,
grants this Non-Qualified Stock Option to W. P. Stiritz ("Optionee") to purchase
a total of one million  (1,000,000)  shares of  Agribrands  International,  Inc.
Common Stock ("Agribrands Stock") at a price of $36.68 per share pursuant to its
1998  Incentive  Stock Plan (the "Plan").  Subject to the provisions of the Plan
and the following terms,  Optionee may exercise this Option from time to time by
tendering to the Company  written notice of exercise  together with the purchase
price in cash,  or in shares of  Agribrands  Stock at their Fair Market Value as
determined by the Nominating and Compensation  Committee (the  "Committee"),  or
both.

     1. Normal Exercise.  This Option becomes  exercisable on May 12, 2003. This
Option remains  exercisable  through May 11, 2008,  unless Optionee is no longer
employed  by the  Company,  in which  case the  Option  is  exercisable  only in
accordance with the provisions of below.

     2.   Acceleration.   Notwithstanding   the  above,  this  Option  is  fully
exercisable  before the normal exercise dates set forth in Section 1 hereof upon
the occurrence of any of the following  events while Optionee is employed by the
Company.

     a.   Death of Optionee;

     b.   Declaration of Optionee's Disability;

     c.   The  involuntary  termination of employment of Optionee,  other than a
          Termination for Cause, including but not limited to, the sale or other
          disposition  of the stock of the  subsidiary  or  business  unit or of
          substantially  all of the assets of the  subsidiary  or business  unit
          which employs Optionee; or

     d.   A Change of Control.

3.   Exercise  After Certain  Events.  Upon the  occurrence of any of the events
     described  below,  any shares  exercisable  on the date of such event shall
     remain  exercisable  during the period stated below, but, in any event, not
     later than May 11, 2008:

     a.   If Optionee's employment is terminated due to death or Disability,  if
          no event of forfeiture  occurs,  such shares shall remain  exercisable
          for three (3) years thereafter;

     b.   If Optionee's employment is involuntarily terminated for reasons other
          than Termination for Cause,  such shares shall remain  exercisable for
          six (6) months thereafter; or


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     c.   When,  prior to a Change of  Control,  there has  occurred an event of
          forfeiture as defined in Section 4 herein,  the Option,  to the extent
          exercisable, shall remain exercisable for thirty (30) days thereafter.

4.   Forfeiture.  Prior to a change  of  Control,  this  Option  is  subject  to
     forfeiture upon the occurrence of one of the following events:

     a.   The Optionee's employment is Terminated for Cause; or

     b.   Optionee engages in competition with the Company or an Affiliate.

     If there is an event of  forfeiture,  the  portion  of the  Option  that is
exercisable at that time may be exercised as set forth in Section 3 hereof.

5.   Definitions.  Unless otherwise defined in this Non-Qualified  Stock Option,
     defined  terms used herein  shall have the same meaning as set forth in the
     Plan.

               "Disability"  shall mean a mental or physical  disability  as, in
          the  opinion of the  Committee,  will  prevent an  Optionee  from ever
          resuming  work of the same  general  nature as that which he performed
          for the employer prior to his disability.

               "Termination  for Cause"  shall mean  Optionee's  termination  of
          employment  with  the  Company  because  of the  willful  engaging  by
          Optionee in gross misconduct;  provided,  however,  that a Termination
          for Cause shall not include termination  attributable to (i) poor work
          performance,  bad judgment or negligence on the part of Optionee, (ii)
          an act or omission  believed by Optionee in good faith to have been in
          or not opposed to the best  interests  of the  Company and  reasonably
          believed by Optionee to be lawful,  or (iii) the good faith conduct of
          Optionee in connection with a Change of Control (including  opposition
          to or support of such Change of Control).

6.   Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof in
     any  jurisdiction  shall not affect the validity or  enforceability  of the
     remainder hereof in that jurisdiction, or the validity or enforceability of
     this  Non-Qualified  Stock Option,  including that provision,  in any other
     jurisdiction.  To the extent  permitted by applicable  law, the Company and
     Optionee each waive any provision of law that renders any provision  hereof
     invalid,  prohibited or unenforceable  in any respect.  If any provision of
     this  Option  is held to be  unenforceable  for any  reason,  it  shall  be
     adjusted rather than voided, if possible, in order to achieve the intent of
     the parties to the extent possible.

7.   Adjustments.   Upon  any  extraordinary  dividend,  stock  split-up,  stock
     dividend,  issuance of any  targeted  stock,  recapitalization,  warrant or
     rights issuance or combination,  exchange or reclassification  with respect
     to any outstanding  class or series of Stock, or  consolidation,  merger or
     sale  of  all  or  substantially  all of the  assets  of the  Company,  the
     Committee  shall cause  appropriate  adjustments to be made to the terms of
     this Award.




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ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED:          AGRIBRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC.


                                    By:
Optionee                                    David R. Wenzel
                                        Chief Financial Officer


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