Three major egg producers have agreed to pay a combined $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs as part of proposed settlements resolving allegations that they illegally coordinated egg prices between 2022 and 2025, according to the U.S. Justice Department and attorneys general from 17 states.
Settlement Details
The settlements involve Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman’s Egg Ranch. None of the companies admitted wrongdoing under the agreements, which were announced Monday and remain subject to court approval. Federal and state officials alleged the companies worked together behind the scenes to artificially inflate daily egg price quotations between June 2022 and March 2025.
Average U.S. egg prices climbed to a record of approximately $6.23 per dozen in March 2025 during widespread outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza that forced producers to cull millions of egg-laying hens. Consumer egg prices later fell to less than $2.20 per dozen by May 2026 as poultry flocks recovered.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
