Document:

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EXHIBIT 10.1

                              SANDERSON FARMS, INC.

                      EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

Harris Trust and Savings Bank
Chicago, Illinois

SunTrust Bank
Atlanta, Georgia

Trustmark National Bank
Jackson, Mississippi

AmSouth Bank,
Jackson, Mississippi

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         Reference is hereby made to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of
July 31, 1996, as amended (the "Credit Agreement") among the undersigned,
Sanderson Farms, Inc., a Mississippi corporation (the "Company"), you (the
"Banks") and Harris Trust and Savings Bank, as agent for the Banks (the
"Agent"). All defined terms used herein shall have the same meaning as in the
Credit Agreement unless otherwise defined herein.

         The Credit Agreement provides for a Revolving Credit to be made
available to the Company through July 31, 2005. The Company now applies to the
Banks to amend the Credit Agreement to extend the Termination Date thereof from
July 31, 2005 to July 31, 2006, all in the manner and on the terms and
conditions set forth herein.

         1. Amendments.

         Upon satisfaction of all of the conditions precedent set forth in
Section 2 hereof, the Credit Agreement shall be amended as follows:

         1.1. The date "July 31, 2005" appearing in the last sentence of Section
1.1(a) of the Credit Agreement shall be replaced with the date "July 31, 2006",
and the Revolving Credit Termination Date under the Credit Agreement shall be
July 31, 2006.

         2. Conditions Precedent.

         The effectiveness of this Amendment is subject to the satisfaction of
all of the following conditions precedent:

         2.1. The Company and each of the Banks shall have executed this
Amendment.
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         2.2. Each Guarantor Subsidiary shall have executed the Guarantors'
Acknowledgment attached hereto.

         2.3. The Agent shall have received the favorable written opinion of
counsel for the Company in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.

         2.4. The Agent shall have received a Certificate of the Treasurer of
the Company and each of the Guarantor Subsidiaries with respect to (a)
resolutions of their respective Board of Directors authorizing the transactions
contemplated hereby, and (b) incumbency and signature of the President,
Treasurer and Secretary of the Company and each Guarantor Subsidiary.

         3. Representations and Warranties.

         3.1. Each of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 5
of the Credit Agreement are true and correct.

         3.2. The Company is in full compliance with all of the terms and
conditions of the Credit Agreement and no Event of Default or Potential Default
has occurred and is continuing thereunder or shall result after giving effect to
this Amendment.

         4. Miscellaneous.

         4.1. Reference to this specific Amendment need not be made in any note,
document, letter, certificate, the Credit Agreement itself, the Revolving Notes,
or any communication issued or made pursuant to or with respect to the Credit
Agreement or the Revolving Notes, any reference to the Credit Agreement being
sufficient to refer to the Credit Agreement as amended hereby.

         4.2. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, and
by the different parties on different counterparts, all of which taken together
shall constitute one and the same agreement. Any of the parties hereto may
execute this Amendment by signing any such counterpart and each of such
counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original. This Amendment
shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of Illinois.

         4.3. The Company hereby requests that Harris extend the Stated
Expiration Date of its Letter of Credit Number SPL 34947 dated November 16, 1995
which Harris has issued for the Company's account to U.S. Bank Corporate Trust
Services, as trustee (the "Trustee") under the Indenture of Trust dated as of
November 1, 1995 between Robertson County Industrial Development Corporation and
the Trustee to July 31, 2005. The Banks hereby consent and agree to such
extension.

                                      -2-
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         Upon acceptance hereof by the Agent and the Banks in the manner
hereinafter set forth, this Amendment shall be a contract between us for the
purposes hereinabove set forth.

         Dated as of August 1, 2003.

                                    SANDERSON FARMS, INC.

                                    By  /s/D. Michael Cockrell
                                       Its Treasurer & CFO

         Accepted and agreed to as of the day and year last above written.

                                    HARRIS TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK
                                       individually and as Agent

                                    By  /s/Curt J. Flammini
                                       Its Vice President

                                    SUNTRUST BANK

                                    By  /s/Michael Lapresi
                                       Its Director

                                    TRUSTMARK NATIONAL BANK

                                    By  /s/Billy Edward
                                       Its Vice President

                                    AMSOUTH BANK

                                    By  /s/Stanley A. Herren
                                       Its Vice President

                                      -3-
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                           GUARANTORS' ACKNOWLEDGMENT

         The undersigned, each of which has executed and delivered to the Banks
a Guaranty Agreement dated as of July 31, 1996 (the "Guaranty Agreement"),
hereby acknowledges the amendment of the Credit Agreement as set forth above and
agrees that all of the Company's indebtedness, obligations and liabilities to
the Banks and the Agent under the Credit Agreement and the Notes as amended by
the foregoing Amendment shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of said
Guaranty Agreement. The undersigned further agree that the Acknowledgment or
consent of the undersigned to any further amendments of the Credit Agreement
shall not be required as a result of this Acknowledgment having been obtained,
except to the extent, if any, required by the Guaranty Agreement.

Dated as of August 1, 2003.

                                   SANDERSON FARMS, INC. (FOODS DIVISION)

                                   By  /s/ D. Michael Cockrell
                                      Its Treasurer & CFO

                                   SANDERSON FARMS, INC. (PRODUCTION DIVISION)

                                   By  /s/ D. Michael Cockrell
                                      Its Treasurer & CFO

                                   SANDERSON FARMS, INC. (PROCESSING DIVISION)

                                   By  /s/ D. Michael Cockrell
                                      Its Treasurer & CFO

                                                                             -1-
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                                    EXHIBIT A

                           FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL

                                      -1-<PAGE>

EXHIBIT 10.2

                             AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT

                                     BETWEEN

                              SANDERSON FARMS, INC.
                          (MCCOMB PRODUCTION DIVISION)

                                       AND

             UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS, LOCAL 1529, AFL-CIO

                                 AFFILIATED WITH

                       UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS
                          INTERNATIONAL UNION, AFL-CIO

                        JULY 1, 2002 - DECEMBER 31, 2004
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                             AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT

         This Amendment to Agreement is effective the twentieth day of July,
2003, by and between SANDERSON FARMS, INC. (PRODUCTION DIVISION) (hereinafter
referred to as "Company"), and United Food and Commercial Workers, Local Union
1529 (hereinafter referred to as the "Union"), and provides as follows:

                                       1.

         The purpose of this Amendment to Agreement is to change portions of the
existing Agreement between the Company and the Union heretofore effective from
July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2005 covering the bargaining unit of employees of
the Company at its Fernwood Mississippi Feed Mill. It shall be attached thereto
and made a part of that Agreement.

                                       2.

         The existing Section 23.1 of the Agreement is hereby strickened and the
following language is substituted as the new Section 23.1:

         This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect from the 1st day
         of July, 2002 through the 31st day December, 2004, and shall continue
         thereafter from year to year unless either party to this Agreement
         desires to terminate this Agreement by giving written notice at least
         ninety (90) days' prior to December 31, 2004, or at least ninety (90)
         days' written notice prior to any anniversary date thereafter. The
         parties to this Agreement shall endeavor to satisfactorily negotiate
         any contemplated change or execute a new Agreement during the ninety
         (90) day period, after proper notice in writing has been given as
         provided hereinabove. Notice, as specified in this Article, shall be
         mailed via United States Certified Mail.

                                       3.

         The existing Section 23.2 of the Agreement is hereby strickened and the
following is substituted as the new Section 23.2:

         Either party to this Agreement may reopen it for the purpose of
         negotiation of wages only as of January 1, 2004. Said reopening shall
         be by giving written notice of the intent to reopen for such purpose to
         the other party at least sixty (60) days' prior to January 1, 2004.
         Such notice shall be as provided in Section 1 of
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         this Article. In the event the parties have not reached agreement on
         wages on or before January 1, 2004, the provisions of Article 6,
         Sections 6.1 and 6.2 shall be suspended, and either party may resort to
         whatever economic sanctions it deems necessary to enforce its
         bargaining position on wages.

                                       4.

         Wages shall be paid as provided in the Appendix "A" attached hereto and
made a part of the Amendment to Agreement.

         In all other respects, the existing Agreement between the parties, as
entered into and signed on the 16th day of July, 2002, shall remain in full
force and effect.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto signed their names this
21st day of August, 2003.

SANDERSON FARMS, INC.                                UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL
(McCOMB PRODUCTION DIVISION)                WORKERS, LOCAL 1529, AFL-CIO

/s/ Doug Creel                             /s/ Rick Slayton
---------------------------------          -------------------------------------
/s/ Grady L. Cutrer, Jr.
---------------------------------          -------------------------------------

---------------------------------          -------------------------------------

                                           -------------------------------------

                                           -------------------------------------

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                                  APPENDIX "A"

                                 WAGE SCHEDULE

                            EFFECTIVE JULY 20, 2003

                                    FEED MILL

<TABLE>
<S>                                            <C>
         Master Maintenance                    $ 12.35
         Unloader - Mill                       $  9.65
         Control Room Technician               $  9.65
         Utility - Mill                        $  8.75
</TABLE>

         Newly hired employees shall receive a training rate of $6.45 per hour,
which shall increase as follows: after 60 days, $7.45; after 6 months, $8.00;
and, after one year, the amount shown above. Newly hired employees in premium
classifications shall receive the rate of that classification when the employee
demonstrates the ability to perform satisfactorily all the duties of the job.

                                FEED MILL DRIVERS

Payment by Load and Mileage

<TABLE>
<S>                                         <C>                           <C>
                                            By Mile
         Load                               Round trip miles
              Per Trip           $13.00                -  to 30           0.2511
              Per Trip - Split   $15.00                31 to 60           0.2392
                                                       61 to 90           0.2284
                                                      91 to 120           0.2186
                                                     121 to 150           0.2140
                                                     151 to 180           0.2096
                                                     181 and above        0.2054
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<S>                                                                             <C>
         Reclaim Driver $10.70 Holiday, Vacation, Funeral Leave                 $11.20
         Downtime (when downtime event exceeds one hour)                        $ 9.85
         Training rate (until driver reaches incentive or end
            of probation, whichever is sooner)                                  $  9.85
         Seniority Pay: Load/Mile Pay - Additional (after 5 years)              $.02 per mile
         Seniority Pay: Hourly Pay - Additional (after 5 years)                 $.50 per hour
</TABLE>

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