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Approval sought for $83.5 million settlement with JBS in cattle antitrust case

Beef producers are closer to a settlement in an antitrust class action case with one of the four major meat packers.

In 2019 National Farmers Union (NFU), R-CALF, and four fed cattle producers filed a class action lawsuit against JBS, Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef claiming the companies artificially suppressed beef prices.  Attorney Tom Undlin says an $83.5 million settlement has been reached with JBS.

“We’re in the phase of where we are wanting to get notice of the settlement now to as many claimants as possible before there is a final approval hearing August 15, 2025,” he says.

Undlin says impacted producers will have thirty days from final approval to file a claim.

“That includes all persons or entities who, within the United States, directly sold to one of the four defendants fed cattle for slaughter between the period of June 1, 2015, and February 29 of 2020,” he says.

Undlin says producers that entered cost-plus agreements and/or a profit-sharing agreement are not eligible to participate.

Undlin says the settlement is not an admission of liability by JBS, who continues to deny any wrongdoing.  He says the litigation continues against the other three companies, and the website, cattleantitrustsettlement.com, will soon be live with further information for impacted producers.

Undlin presented an update on the case to the NFU annual convention in Oklahoma City.