Tyson Heads for Trial on Claims It Depressed Prices for Farmers

Tyson Chicken Inc. must face a trial on claims that it leveraged its buying power to drive down the cost of chickens it purchased for processing at a Kentucky plant, a federal judge ruled.

“Contrary to Tyson’s assertions, there is evidence that” it has “a monopsony in the relevant regional market and that Tyson’s alleged practices” have “an adverse impact on competition,” Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr. wrote. “Likewise, there is evidence to the contrary,” creating an issue for a jury to resolve, the judge said.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, ...