Tyson plant closures left contract chicken farmers with debt and uncertainty
Tyson Foods says recent plant closures aimed at "driving out waste from the business." Contract chicken farmers are now stuck with uncertainty and massive loans. (No paywall)
Judge will give DOJ more time to build case in poultry price-fixing suit
The District Court judge overseeing a massive price-fixing lawsuit against chicken companies said on Wednesday that he would extend a stay of discovery in that case to make way for a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice.
In Nebraska, fight over Costco chicken farms escalates
As Nebraska's brand-new Costco chicken processing plant begins sending birds down the line, residents are escalating their protest against the company by pushing for a statewide moratorium on new concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).(No paywall)
Justice Dept. intervenes in major poultry price-fixing case
The Department of Justice intervened Friday in a landmark price-fixing suit against the country’s biggest poultry companies, possibly signaling that its own grand jury investigation into the chicken sector could result in criminal indictments. The DOJ asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to stop discovery in the class-action lawsuit brought by food distributor Maplevale Farm, saying in its motion that “a limited stay is needed to protect the grand jury’s investigation.”
Despite community resistance, Kansas okays more chicken houses
Although Kansas has been the site of several high-profile fights over the future of chicken farming, the state’s Senate advanced a bill last week that would increase the cap on how many chickens a farmer can raise at once.