United States district Judge Virginia M. Kendall said the plaintiffs in the case provided sufficient inference that price-fixing of turkeys took place.
While the defendants submitted what were described as “alternative explanations” for their turkey prices, Judge Kendall also said the standards for potential dismissal are higher for the defendants than those for the plaintiffs in outlining her decision.
The lawsuit accuses Butterball, Cargill Inc., Cooper Farms, Hormel Foods Corp., House of Raeford Inc., Farbest Foods Inc., Foster Farms Inc., Perdue Farms Inc., Prestage Farms and Tyson Foods Inc., of exchanging information on turkey production cutbacks in an effort to inflate prices.
Agri-Stats Inc. is also involved in the lawsuit, as it has been in similar price-fixing complaints in the pork, chicken and beef industries.
The defendants submitted a joint denial against the activities featured in the lawsuit as part of their effort to win a dismissal of the case.
