Cargill, Turkey Buyers’ Antitrust Settlement Gets First Approval

Turkey purchaser plaintiffs won preliminary approval Thursday for a $32.5 million deal with Cargill Inc. to settle claims the company colluded with poultry processors to inflate turkey prices.

Judge Sunil R. Harjani of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted the direct purchaser plaintiffs their motion for preliminary approval of the settlement agreement with Cargill.

Harjani called the deal “within the range of possible approval” and set a fairness hearing for June 18.

Cargill and the plaintiffs announced the proposed deal earlier this month, saying it would bring direct purchasers’ total recovery to more than $37 ...