Big Ruling against Pilgrim’s Pride

MARSHALL — 91 Arkansas contract poultry growers would receive $26 million in damages under a ruling issued by a federal judge in Marshall. U.S. Magistrate Charles Everingham found Pilgrim’s Pride was deliberately attempting to manipulate the price of chicken when the company decided to close its El Dorado plant in early 2009. Plaintiffs’ attorney Bob Depper says the turning point in the case was an email concerning the sale of another plant. Depper says when Pilgrim’s had the opportunity to sell the farmable plants it had closed down, there was an internal memo that said the company couldn’t do that because it would foil its plan. Awards to individual growers ranged from $50,000 to over $700,000. The judge indicated there had been difficulty in determining damages because some growers had failed to keep accurate records.