The decreases were attributed primarily to Tyson's business divestitures. Operating income increased for the first nine months to $739 million versus $613 billion during the same period in 2018. "Operating income increased for the first nine months of fiscal 2019 due to strong demand for our products and improved product mix, partially offset by increased operating costs," according to the company. Tyson's Prepared Foods business during the quarter was highlighted by its introduction of its Raised & Rooted plant-based protein product line and its Aidells blended protein products, which are being rolled out to more than 4,000 retail stores. "We expect the segment will continue performing well, with an operating margin of 12 percent in fiscal 2019. And we expect the same results or better next year, assuming current expectations for raw material costs," White told analysts.