(KIWA Staff Photo)
Washington, DC (RI) — The U.S. Justice Department has proposed a settlement with the nation’s largest egg producers, who allegedly conspired to fix prices between June 2022 and March 2025. And an egg farm near Sioux Center is involved.
The settlement involves Versova Management Cooperative, which manages egg farms in Iowa; Cal-Maine Foods of Delaware; and Hickman’s Eggs in Arizona. Under the proposal, the companies will donate 50 million eggs to food banks and nonprofits and pay a combined $3.3 million.
The group Farm Action, based in Mexico, Missouri, pushed for the investigation. Co-founder Joe Maxwell says the settlement falls short of what consumers deserve, especially compared to Cal-Maine’s reported $1.2 billion profit.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird praised the settlement and says Iowa will receive about $90,000. Versova oversees Centrum Valley Farms, Oakdell Farms, Willamette Egg Farms, and Trillium Farms in Sioux Center.
Maxwell argues the settlement money will go back to government agencies — not to the consumers.
Maxwell says eggs are a staple almost every household buys.
He says the companies blamed rising prices on bird flu to justify higher profits.
Maxwell says egg production faces the same problems seen in pork, beef and other sectors, where a small number of companies control the market. He wants to see more action.
Reporters asked Attorney General Bird about Maxwell’s comments, but have not yet received a response.
