By Jody Godoy and David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice and six states settled their antitrust lawsuit against data company Agri Stats on Thursday in a move DOJ officials said would lower meat prices for consumers.
The Trump administration is looking to make consumer foods more affordable as Americans grapple with the rising cost of living, including surging gas prices.
The DOJ in September 2023 alleged Indiana-based Agri Stats’ weekly reports on meat pricing and sales enabled anti-competitive practices in the chicken, pork, and turkey industries. The case was scheduled to go to trial this month.
Thursday’s settlement limits what data Agri Stats can collect, and requires it to offer its data not only to meat processors, but also to meat buyers like grocery stores and restaurants.
“This Department of Justice is laser-focused on making everyday life affordable for all Americans,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
The Agri Stats settlement included California, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
Agri Stats President Eric Scholer said in a statement that the company was pleased to resolve the matter. He said its reports have helped chicken producers expand production and reduce costs.
“It has not been easy for a small company to litigate against a massive government agency with unlimited resources, and we could not have achieved this outcome had our customers not stood behind us,” he said.
The DOJ settlement goes farther in some ways than Agri Stats’ recent settlements with meat purchasers and workers that required the company to stop providing meatpackers with competitor or plant-level pricing and wage data.
If approved by the judge overseeing the case, Thursday’s agreement would run for 10 years, as opposed to five in the private settlements. Agri Stats would also be subject to a seven-year monitorship.
(Reporting by Jody Godoy, David Shepardson, Jody Godoy and Ismail Shakil; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis and Nia Williams)
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