![]() "As an imperative lifeblood of our business, we value the excellent relationships built on trust we have with our farmers, and remain committed to providing them fair, competitive contracts that benefit them and, therefore, our animals, company, customers, and consumers." Souder said ![]() Perdue Farms spokeswoman Diana Souder said the company, which will pay $14.75 million, values the relationship it has with its farmers and Purdue pays farmers based on their performance. Industry officials have said the contract system has worked for six decades because it benefits companies and farmers. Previously, major meat companies have defended the system as fair it calls for farmers to provide barns and labor to raise chickens while the companies provide chicks, feed and expertise. The farmers who sued reported earning between $12,000 and $40,000 a year while working 12-to-16-hour days all year long while major meat companies like Tyson and Pilgrim’s were reporting annual profits over $1 billion.Ĭhicken nugget launched into space to celebrate supermarket’s anniversaryĪ British supermarket chain celebrated its 50th anniversary by sending a chicken nugget into space. Generally, chicken producers enter long-term contracts with meat companies that farmers say lock them into deals that fix their compensation at unprofitably low levels. They also said the companies colluded to fix farmer compensation at low levels to boost corporate profits, making it difficult for the farmers to survive financially. The lawsuit, filed by Alabama farmers in Oklahoma federal court, alleges that the contract grower system the meat companies created pushed the farmers deep into debt to build and maintain chicken barns that met company standards. The poultry companies agreed to the settlements without admitting any wrongdoing while the lawsuit remains pending against several other industry giants, including Pilgrim’s Pride, Koch Foods and Sanderson Farms. ![]() Last week, Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms agreed to settlements of nearly $35 million in a lawsuit that also accused them and several other firms of conspiring to dominate the industry and fix the prices paid to farmers who raise the chickens, according to the Associated Press. Consumers are urged to check their eligibility and submit a claim online by Dec. The total payout is still being determined. The companies have all denied any wrongdoing. (Photo by Deb Lindsey For The Washington Post via Getty Images).įieldale Farms Corporation, George’s, Mar-Jac Poultry, Peco Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, and Tyson Foods were named as defendants in the settlement. FILE - A whole raw chicken is pictured in an undated file image taken in Washington, D.C.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |