A Waiting Game: R-Calf is waiting on their lawsuit against four main meat packers

The courts are still considering R-Calf’s lawsuit against the four major meat packers, which claims they conspired to depress prices.

R-Calf CEO Bill Bullard tells agoinfo.net they are waiting on the courts to approve a multi-million-dollar class action suit against JBS. As part of the agreement, Bullard says JBS would then help in the cases against the other three packers.

Bullard says right now they just have to wait.

“So the way this works is that the court will determine whether the proposed class action settlement is appropriate and equitable,” Bullard said. “And if such a determination is made, then the court would order that notice be sent to all the potential members of the class who could file a claim against the settlement.”

Any producer who sold to the Big Four packers (Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill Meat Solutions, and National Beef Packing Co.) between June 2015 and February 2020 can participate in the class action lawsuit.

Related Stories
The biggest development of 2025 in agricultural law and taxation was the signing into law on July 4 of the Trump Administration’s landmark legislation, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA)
Smaller cow numbers and a declining calf crop point to prolonged tight cattle supplies, limiting near-term herd rebuilding potential.
Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, provides new updates on winter storm impacts and the outlook for rural power reliability.
Jessi Grote from the AgriSafe Network provides winter safety guidance for rural communities still recovering from the recent winter storm.
CattleCon 2026 officially kicks off Tuesday and continues through Thursday, bringing producers together to shape the future of the U.S. cattle industry.
The changing political climate in America is leading to a drop in migrant crossings near the U.S.-Mexico border, where ranchers like Dr. Mike Vickers say they witnessed horrors from death to child trafficking.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Marilyn Schlake with the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics joined us for a closer look at the evolving role of livestock sale barns.
RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey recently spoke with Dr. Mike Vickers, a South Texas rancher, who says illegal border crossings have dramatically declined in the last year.
Auction manager and West Texas A&M University student Presley Graves joined us to discuss the growth of StockShowAuctions.com and its impact on youth in agriculture.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening joined us with the latest update on storm conditions and impacts across the state.
Mike Knotts with the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association joined us with the latest on storm impacts, power restoration, and safety considerations following the ice storm.
Brooks York with AgriSompo joined us with his outlook on crop insurance and risk management following the recent winter storm that tore through most of the United States, including the Midwest.