EXHIBIT A

POWER OF ATTORNEY


	KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes
and appoints Michael H. Cole and Darcy Geronimi, or either of them, with full power to each of
them to act alone, as the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, to execute for
and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of
Smithfield Foods, Inc., a Virginia corporation (the "Company") any and all Forms 3, 4 and 5 in
accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules
thereunder; to do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned that may be
necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5, to complete and
execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and to timely file such form with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority; and to
take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing that, in the
opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required
by, the undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact
on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this power of attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.
The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and
perform each and every act and thing necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same.
This power of attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the undersigned is no longer
required to file Forms 3, 4 or 5 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in
securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing
delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.  The undersigned acknowledges that neither the
Company nor any of these attorneys is assuming, nor shall any of them be responsible for, the
undersigned's obligation to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.


						/s/ Jerry H. Godwin
						___________________________________
						Signature

						Jerry H. Godwin
						___________________________________
						Print Name

	 August 29, 2002
Dated: ________________________