An unexpected ruling: egg producers in the US accused of cartel behaviour will have to sacrifice 53 million eggs

An unusual agreement has been reached in the United States: under the price-fixing settlement, three major egg producers will have to donate 53 million eggs to food banks.

A coalition of 17 states took the producers to court, alleging that they had secretly coordinated their actions to influence everyday egg prices.

“It is unacceptable that these companies conspired against hard-working New Yorkers to raise egg prices simply to line their own pockets,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement on Wednesday announcing the settlement. – The law is clear: price-fixing of any kind will not be tolerated, either in New York or across our country.“

Ms James stated that “Cal-Maine Foods”, “Versova” and “Hickman’s Egg Ranch” had secretly colluded as far back as 2022.

The companies will now not only donate a large proportion of their eggs but also pay US$3.3 million US dollars to the affected states and change their operating practices to prevent future breaches, according to the statement.

Egg prices have become a key issue in Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election campaign, as he sought to capitalise on voters’ dissatisfaction with rising prices of essential goods during the presidency of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Due to the rapid spread of avian flu, poultry farmers were forced to cull 26 million birds, causing egg prices to soar. In New York, the average price of a dozen eggs reached US$8.47, as stated in a February 2025 report by the US Department of Agriculture.

The State of New York is set to receive 4,968,000 eggs. Other states participating in this agreement are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin.