Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

An evaluation was performed, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and the Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"), of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act")). Based on that evaluation, the CEO and CFO concluded that, as of October 2, 2021, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

Remediation of Previously Reported Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

During the first quarter of fiscal 2021, we identified and disclosed a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting over the existence of live cattle inventory. Specifically, we did not design and maintain effective controls to verify the existence of Company inventory in the custody of third-party live cattle suppliers and appropriately perform the live cattle inventory reconciliation and review at the designed level of precision. To remediate the material weakness described above, we designed and implemented a control requiring the inspection and physical verification of live cattle at third-party feedyards as well as conducted training on the execution of the Company’s key control regarding the reconciliation and review of live cattle inventory, including the sufficient review based on defined thresholds.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we successfully completed the testing necessary to conclude that the material weakness has been remediated.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the 1934 Act. Our internal control over financial reporting was designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 2, 2021. In making this assessment, we used criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO") in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013). Based on this evaluation under the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO, management concluded the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of October 2, 2021.

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has audited the fiscal 2021 financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has also audited the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 2, 2021 as stated in its report which appears in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the 1934 Act) during the quarter ended October 2, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.