{"id":19124,"date":"2026-07-01T04:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T04:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=19124"},"modified":"2026-07-01T04:03:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T04:03:20","slug":"egg-producers-will-pay-3-3m-and-donate-53-million-eggs-to-settle-price-fixing-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=19124","title":{"rendered":"Egg producers will pay $3.3M and donate 53 million eggs to settle price fixing claims"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, AP Business Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 The U.S. Justice Department and 17 states reached settlement agreements with three major egg producers this week to resolve allegations that the companies illegally colluded for years to raise prices, including when the cost soared to record highs last year.<\/p>\n

Read more SCNG journalists honored for news coverage by LA Press Club<\/a><\/p>\n

The states and federal government accused Cal-Maine Foods, Versova and Hickman\u2019s Egg Ranch of a behind-the-scenes arrangement to \u201cartificially inflate the daily price quotations for eggs\u201d between June 2022 and March 2025. In particular, their investigation found that the companies coordinated on what bids they would submit to Urner Barry Publications, a company that runs an index key to determining how much grocery stores, restaurants and others pay for billions of eggs each year.<\/p>\n

In turn, that meant \u201chigher prices for eggs sold to consumers,\u201d alleged the complaint, which was filed in Iowa on Monday, the day the settlement terms were announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen powerful corporations collude behind the scenes to raise prices, working families suffer the costs,\u201d New York Attorney General Letitia James, who helped lead the investigation, said in a statement. \u201cThese egg producers manipulated the market to squeeze even more profit out of consumers and businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

None of the companies admitted wrongdoing under the settlements. But to settle the states\u2019 claims, Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman\u2019s will collectively be on the hook for $3.3 million and 53 million eggs, James and others said. Those eggs would be donated by the companies and make their ways to food banks and nonprofits. The money will be distributed to the states.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department and the states also outlined actions the companies will need to take, including adopting antitrust compliance programs and banning communicating with competitors on pricing and bidding strategies.<\/p>\n

The settlements would still need court approval. The Justice Department\u2019s Omeed A. Assefi said Tuesday that the proposed settlements \u201cresolve years of conduct that dragged on Americans\u2019 finances and their everyday lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Average U.S. egg prices soared to a record high of about $6.23 per dozen in March 2025, amid a bird flu epidemic that forced farmers to slaughter millions of egg-laying chickens. Egg producers blamed price spike on the outbreak, but critics accused big companies of taking advantage of their market dominance and the government began its investigation.<\/p>\n

Monday\u2019s complaint notes that price quotations \u201cdropped significantly\u201d after Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman\u2019s learned of the Justice Department\u2019s investigation and were instructed to preserve documents in March 2025. Consumer egg prices also later tumbled \u2014 to under $2.20 per dozen as of May 2026 \u2014 as replenished flocks caught up despite the ongoing outbreak.<\/p>\n

Cal-Maine maintained Monday that allegations of price manipulation were \u201cbaseless\u201d and that it believes its conduct has been legal. It also noted that while it was part of a cooperative with the other egg producers, it left the group in May 2024.<\/p>\n

Read more House GOP deadlocks over Trump\u2019s demands, sending lawmakers home early<\/a><\/p>\n

Still, Cal-Maine CEO Sherman Miller said the company\u2019s settlement agreement \u201cenables us to move forward so we can devote our full attention to what matters most: delivering affordable, high-quality eggs and egg-based prepared foods to consumers nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Miller added the period the Justice Department reviewed \u201cwas a particularly challenging time\u201d \u2014 noting that, beyond avian flu, the COVID-19 pandemic, weather and other market conditions have contributed to temporary supply shocks and high prices in recent years. He said Cal-Maine \u201ctook numerous steps to protect and grow its hen flock\u201d in that time.<\/p>\n

Versova echoed a similar sentiment, particularly pointing to the toll the bird flu has had on its farmers, who it noted \u201cdon\u2019t set the wholesale price of eggs.\u201d Instead, Versova said the price of most of its eggs depends on cost fluctuations of grain used in hen feeds.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Hickman\u2019s owner Mantiqueira USA, which acquired the egg producer in November, said the \u201cconduct referenced in the complaint predates our acquisition,\u201d noting that it is committed to complying with the law.<\/p>\n

Some advocacy groups say the proposed settlements aren\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsumers paid record prices while dominant egg producers reported extraordinary profits, yet the result is another settlement that corporations can treat as the cost of doing business rather than meaningful accountability,\u201d said Angela Huffman, president of Farm Action.<\/p>\n

Cal-Maine \u2014 the only of the three companies that is public and reports quarterly financials \u2014 reported a profit of $1.22 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. Under its settlement agreement with the states, the company would pay $1.5 million and donate 30 million eggs.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, per court documents, Versova would provide 20 million eggs and $800,000, and Hickman\u2019s would be on the hook for 3.25 million eggs and $1 million.<\/p>\n

In addition to New York, these states were party to the settlement agreements: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

Read more Baby girl dies after boy threw her to floor in Claremont home, police say<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Egg producers Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman’s agree to a $3.3 million settlement to resolve allegations of price collusion with 17 states.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nEgg producers will pay $3.3M and donate 53 million eggs to settle price fixing claims - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=19124\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Egg producers will pay $3.3M and donate 53 million eggs to settle price fixing claims - 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