Pork Producers Beat Price-Fixing Suit Alleging Herd Cutbacks

The country’s top pork producers, including affiliates of Tyson Foods Inc., JBS USA Food Co., and Hormel Foods Corp., beat a lawsuit Aug. 8 that accused them of a scheme to inflate the price of pork by reducing their hog herds.

Judge John R. Tunheim of the District of Minnesota tossed the multidistrict case, which was consolidated into three class actions representing wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. The suit also targeted Agri Stats Inc., which compiles agricultural price indices.

The pork producers sent one another signals through public statements about the need to cut back on production, the ...