DOJ pushes for Agri Stats trial before class-action lawsuit

The U.S. Department of Justice is urging a Minnesota federal judge to prioritize the trial of its case against Agri Stats, scheduled for May 4, 2026, before any proceedings in the larger In re Pork class-action lawsuit. The DOJ argues this is “practical and necessary” due to the ongoing nature of Agri Stats’ alleged conduct in the broiler chicken market and the strong public interest in resolving antitrust enforcement actions. They believe a favorable judgment in the Agri Stats case could streamline subsequent private trials within In re Pork by reducing the scope of evidence needed.

Agri Stats maintains its innocence, asserting a Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial on overlapping issues and claiming the lawsuit threatens consumer prices. The DOJ initially filed suit in September 2023, alleging a violation of the Sherman Act, with subsequent amendments citing Agri Stats’ information-sharing scheme as harmful to competition. Participating meat processors represent a significant portion of sales in the broiler chicken, pork, and turkey markets.

Meanwhile, developments in the In re Pork lawsuit include Puerto Rico dropping its claims against Clemens Food Group and progress toward final approval of settlements with Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs (CIIPPs) and Consumer IPPs, totaling over $66 million for CIIPPs and seeking approval for $98.5 million for Consumer IPPs. The In re Pork lawsuits allege a conspiracy among major pork processors to fix prices, with Agri Stats’ benchmarking data playing a central role.

(Source：National Hog Farmer)