8-K

                             UNITED STATES
                  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                        Washington, D.C.  20549




                               FORM 8-K
                            CURRENT REPORT




PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



     Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 7, 2004



                         Seaboard Corporation
        (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



      Delaware                       1-3390                04-2260388
(State or other jurisdiction of    (Commission          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)      File Number)       Identification No.)



9000 W. 67th Street, Shawnee Mission, Kansas                66202
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)



   (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)    (913) 676-8800



                            Not Applicable
    (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)



Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)  Exhibits

     Registrant hereby furnishes the following exhibit pursuant to Item 12:

     99.1 Press release of Seaboard Corporation dated May 7, 2004
     announcing earnings for the first quarter ended April 3, 2004.


Item 12.  Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On May 7, 2004, Registrant issued a press release announcing earnings for
the quarter ended April 3, 2004.  The full text of this press release is
included as exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference in this Current
Report on Form 8-K.

  1



                                 SIGNATURE


Pursuant  to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf  by  the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.




                           DATE:  May 7, 2004

                           Seaboard Corporation

                           by: /s/ Robert L. Steer
                               Robert L. Steer, Senior Vice President,
                               Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

  2

EX-99.1

                                                                Exhibit 99.1

                               PRESS RELEASE
                            REPORT OF EARNINGS

                                                                May 7, 2004
                                                    Shawnee Mission, Kansas

The  following  is  a  report  of earnings for Seaboard  Corporation  (AMEX
symbol: SEB) with offices at 9000 West 67th Street, Shawnee Mission, Kansas
66202, (the "Company"), for the three months ended April 3, 2004 and  March
29, 2003, in thousands of dollars except per share amounts.

                                                          Three Months Ended
                                                         April 3,    March 29,
                                                           2004        2003

Net sales                                              $  615,675  $  461,867

Earnings (loss) before cumulative effect of changes
 in accounting principles                                  27,377        (933)

Cumulative effect of changes in accounting for asset
 retirement obligations and dry-dock accruals, net of
 income tax expense of $550                                    -        3,648

Net earnings                                           $   27,377  $    2,715

Earnings (loss) per share before cumulative effect of
 changes in accounting principles                      $    21.81  $    (0.74)

Cumulative effect of changes in accounting for asset
 retirement obligations and dry-dock accruals                   -        2.90

Net earnings per common share                          $    21.81  $     2.16

Average  number of shares outstanding                   1,255,054   1,255,054


Notes to Report of Earnings:

Effective  January  1,  2003, the Company adopted  Statement  of  Financial
Accounting Standard No. 143, which required the Company to record  a  long-
lived  asset  and  related liability for asset retirement obligation  costs
associated  with the closure of the hog lagoons it is legally obligated  to
close.  Accordingly,  the  Company recorded the cumulative  effect  of  the
change  in  accounting  principle with a charge to earnings  of  $2,195,000
($1,339,000 net of tax) or $1.07 per common share.

Additionally, effective January 1, 2003, the Company changed its method  of
accounting for the scheduled dry-dock of vessels from the accrue-in-advance
method  to the direct-expense method. As a result, during the first quarter
of 2003, the Company reversed the balance of the accrued liability for dry-
dock  maintenance  as of December 31, 2002, resulting  in  an  increase  in
earnings of $6,393,000 ($4,987,000 net of tax) or $3.97 per common share.