Fieldale Farms chicken price fixing settlement could be good news for others

Chicken processor Fieldale Farms has proposed to pay $2.25 million to settle its part in a lawsuit involving 14 chicken processors, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois.  Attorneys from law firms representing Maplevale Farms of Falconer, N.Y., said at the time that companies including Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, Perdue Farms, Sanderson Farms and several others worked together to artificially reduce broiler chicken supplies in the U.S. marketplace knowing that supply reductions would boost prices. The 14 processors named in the suit were accused of sharing confidential information, including news on plant closings, hatching egg export levels and destroying breeder hens, according to the suit. The $2.25 million settlement implies a lower than expected litigation exposure for Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms.