MUSKOGEE, OKLA. — A federal judge in Oklahoma made the final approval for a $100 million settlement involving Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., and chicken growers.

The approval was filed on Jan. 7 with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma overseen by Judge  Robert J. Shelby. The preliminary settlement for this case occurred in August 2024.

The lawsuit brought on by contract growers and others alleged that Pilgrim’s Pride and other processors conspired to underpay chicken growers.

A previous court document stated that 24,354 growers are seeking payment for an alleged conspiracy to suppress their wages since at least 2008.

Other poultry processors to have reached agreements in the case include Tyson Foods ($21 million), Perdue Farms ($14.75 million), Sanderson Farms ($17.75 million) and Koch Foods ($15.5 million).

All of the companies, including Pilgrim’s Pride, denied wrongdoing with the settlement.