CHICAGO – Poultry producer Harrison Poultry, based in Bethlehem, Ga., recently agreed to a $2.8 million settlement as part of a poultry price-fixing lawsuit.

The case involved a group of indirect commercial and institutional purchaser plaintiffs being heard in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 

The settlement agreement stated that Harrison does not admit any liability and denies the legal claims from the plaintiffs.

Last year, the company agreed to pay a $3.3 million settlement for a similar lawsuit that dealt with direct purchaser plaintiffs.

Harrison is one of several poultry companies involved in litigation since 2016 alleging executives were part of a nationwide conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products from 2012 until at least 2019.

The various allegations included companies coordinating pricing for restaurants, grocery stores and wholesale chicken buyers.

US District Court Judge Thomas M. Durkin continues to preside over this class action lawsuit.

In late June, Durkin made a ruling that several large poultry companies would have to face anti-trust litigation.

All recent coverage of price-fixing cases can be found on the MEAT+POULTRY website.