SEATTLE — Bob Ferguson, attorney general for the state of Washington, announced on April 5 that 14 poultry companies paid $35 million to settle claims of conspiring to inflate and manipulate chicken prices.

Ferguson filed the initial lawsuit in October 2021. A trial date is still set for the five remaining co-defendants for October 2024.

Some of the resolutions have been reached over the last year. Still, the Attorney General’s office listed the 14 resolutions, including Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. ($11 million), Tyson Foods Inc. ($10.5 million), Perdue Farms Inc. ($6.5 million), Koch Foods Inc. ($1.4 million), Peco Foods Inc. ($800,000), Mountaire Farms Inc. ($775,000), George’s Inc. ($750,000), Mar-Jac Poultry ($725,000), Amick Farms LLC ($600,000), Fieldale Farms Corp. ($475,000), Simmons Foods Inc. ($425,000), Case Foods Inc. ($395,000), OK Foods Inc. ($375,000) and Harrison Poultry Inc ($290,000).

The five other defendants include Sanderson Farms Inc., Wayne Farms LLC, Foster Farms LLC, House of Raeford Inc. and Claxton Poultry Farms.

The investigation from Washington discovered a coordinated, industry-wide effort to cut production through the exchange of competitively sensitive information, signals during investor calls and direct coordination between players in the industry.

The lawsuit accuses the companies of this behavior since at least 2008. 

Ferguson’s office said in its recent findings that an estimated 90% of Washingtonians were affected by the alleged scheme. 

“The companies entered into legally binding agreements to conduct internal training and certify that they have corporate policies that ensure the companies follow state and federal antitrust laws,” Ferguson’s office said. “Under the terms of the consent decrees, if any of them engage in price-fixing or other anticompetitive conduct in the next five years, the Attorney General’s Office can go to court to seek civil penalties.”

Alaska and New Mexico have filed similar cases again national poultry producers.