The United States Department of Justice and seventeen state attorneys general have agreed to a proposed $3.3 million settlement with Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman's Egg Ranch following accusations of price coordination.

美國司法部與十七位州總檢察長，在指控 Cal-Maine Foods、Versova 及 Hickman's Egg Ranch 協調價格後，已同意一項建議 330 萬美元的和解協議。

The legal case began after allegations that the three companies communicated secretly between June 2022 and March 2025. The Department of Justice asserted that the companies worked together to manipulate the daily price reports published by Urner Barry, which are used as a standard for national supply contracts. By coordinating their bids, the producers allegedly created a false impression of high demand, which consequently increased prices for retail stores and consumers.

這起法律案件始於指控這三家公司在 2022 年 6 月至 2025 年 3 月期間進行秘密溝通。司法部主張這些公司共同操縱 Urner Barry 發布的每日價格報告，而該報告被用作全國供應合約的標準。透過協調投標，生產商涉嫌營造出需求高漲的假象，進而提高了零售店與消費者的價格。

However, the companies involved disagreed with these claims. While the government described the behavior as illegal coordination that harmed consumers, Cal-Maine and Versova denied any wrongdoing. They emphasized that the volatility of egg prices was caused by external factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of avian influenza that killed many birds. Furthermore, Versova stated that its prices are based on grain contracts and feed costs rather than intentional manipulation.

然而，涉案公司並不認同這些指控。雖然政府將此行為描述為損害消費者的非法協調，但 Cal-Maine 和 Versova 否認有任何不當行為。他們強調蛋價的波動是由外部因素引起，例如 COVID-19 疫情以及導致大量禽類死亡的禽流感爆發。此外，Versova 表示其價格是基於穀物合約和飼料成本，而非刻意操縱。

To prevent these issues from happening again, the settlement requires the companies to start antitrust compliance programs and appoint compliance officers. Regarding the financial payments, Cal-Maine will pay $1.5 million, Hickman's will pay $1 million, and Versova will pay $800,000. Additionally, the companies have agreed to donate approximately 53 million eggs to food banks and non-profit organizations.

為了防止此類問題再次發生，和解協議要求這些公司啟動反壟斷合規計劃並任命合規官。在財務支付方面，Cal-Maine 將支付 150 萬美元，Hickman's 將支付 100 萬美元，Versova 將支付 80 萬美元。此外，這些公司已同意向食物銀行和非營利組織捐贈約 5,300 萬枚雞蛋。

The settlement is now waiting for approval from a federal judge. This agreement ends the investigation into price-fixing at a time when egg prices have dropped significantly from their peak in March 2025.

該和解協議目前正等待聯邦法官批准。這項協議在蛋價從 2025 年 3 月的高峰大幅下跌之際，結束了對價格操縱的調查。