Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
SANDERSON JOE F JR
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SANDERSON FARMS INC [SAFM]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
CEO, Chairman of the Board
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
127 FLYNT ROAD, P.O. BOX 988
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/29/2016
(Street)

LAUREL, MS 39443
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock               762,673 D  
Common Stock               9,808 I By spouse.
Common Stock               100,534.9077 (1) I Allocated to Reporting Person's account in Issuer ESOP.

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Performance Shares (2) 12/29/2016   A   44,067     (2)   (2) Common Stock 44,067 $ 0 44,067 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
SANDERSON JOE F JR
127 FLYNT ROAD
P.O. BOX 988
LAUREL, MS 39443
  X     CEO, Chairman of the Board  

Signatures

 /s/ D. Michael Cockrell, Attorney-in-Fact   01/03/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Reflects allocations not reported on the Reporting Person's previous ownership report.
(2) The performance shares were awarded on November 1, 2014. The award entitled the Reporting Person to a number of shares of common stock based on the Issuer's level of achievement of performance measures over a two-year period ending October 31, 2016. The performance measures were return on equity and return on sales. On December 29, 2016, the Issuer's Compensation Committee determined that based on the Issuer's actual performance, the Reporting Person is entitled to the number of shares reported in Table II. The earned shares are subject to an additional one-year vesting period before they are issued and will vest, as long as the Reporting Person remains continuously employed with the Issuer (with some exceptions), on October 31, 2017.

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