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                                                                  Exhibit 3.2(a)

                          CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                          PREMIUM STANDARD FARMS, INC.



         1. The name of this corporation is Premium Standard Farms, Inc.

         2. The registered office of this corporation in the State of Delaware
is located at 1013 Centre Road, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle.
The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

         3. The purpose of this corporation is to engage in any lawful act or
activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware.

         4. The total number of shares of stock that this corporation shall have
authority to issue is one thousand (1000) shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par
value per share. Each share of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote.

         5. The name and mailing address of the incorporator is: James A.
Heeter, c/o Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, Twentieth Century Tower II, 4520 Main
Street, 11th Floor, Kansas City, MO 64111.

         6. Except as otherwise provided in the provisions establishing a class
of stock, the number of authorized shares of any class of stock may be increased
or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by
the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the
corporation entitled to vote irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2)
of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

         7. This corporation is subject to the requirements of Section
1123(a)(6) of the United States Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. 1123(a)(6)) and shall
be prohibited from issuing any nonvoting equity securities.

         8. The election of directors need not be by written ballot unless the
by-laws shall so require.

         9. In furtherance and not in limitation of the power conferred upon the
board of directors by law, the board of directors shall have power to make,
adopt, alter, amend and repeal from time to time by-laws of this corporation,
subject to the right of the stockholders entitled to vote with respect thereto
to alter and repeal by-laws made by the board of directors.
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         10. A director of this corporation shall not be liable to the
corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary
duty as a director, except to the extent that exculpation from liability is not
permitted under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as in
effect at the time such liability is determined. No amendment or repeal of this
paragraph 10 shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged
liability of any director of the corporation for or with respect to any acts or
omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

         11. This corporation shall, to the maximum extent permitted from time
to time under the law of the State of Delaware, indemnify and upon request
advance expenses to any person who is or was a party or is threatened to be made
a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or
claim, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of
the fact that such person is or was or has agreed to be a director or officer of
this corporation or while a director or officer is or was serving at the request
of this corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent
of any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against expenses
(including attorney's fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties and
amounts paid in settlement incurred (and not otherwise recovered) in connection
with the investigation, preparation to defend or defense of such action, suit,
proceeding or claim; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not require
this corporation to indemnify or advance expenses to any person in connection
with any action, suit, proceeding, claim or counterclaim initiated by or on
behalf of such person. Such indemnification shall not be exclusive of other
indemnification rights arising under any by-law, agreement, vote of directors or
stockholders or otherwise and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and legal
representatives of such person. Any person seeking indemnification under this
paragraph 10 shall be deemed to have met the standard of conduct required for
such indemnification unless the contrary shall be established. Any repeal or
modification of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph 10 shall not
adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of this
corporation with respect to any acts or omissions of such director or officer
occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

         12. The books of this corporation may (subject to any statutory
requirements) be kept outside the State of Delaware as may be designated by the
board of directors or in the by-laws of this corporation.

         THE UNDERSIGNED, the sole incorporator named above, hereby certifies
that the facts stated above are true as of this 15th day of August, 1996.

                                         /s/ James A. Heeter
                                         James A. Heeter


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