R-CALF USA Urges Cattle Feeders to File Claims in $83.5 Million Settlement with JBS in Cattle Antitrust Case

BILLINGS, Mont., May 21, 2025 – On February 20, 2025, the Cattle Plaintiffs in the In re Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation against JBS, Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef received preliminary approval of an $83.5 million settlement with JBS. The settlement was reached in the class action antitrust lawsuit filed in 2019 by R-CALF USA, four individual ranchers, and the National Farmers Union. The litigation against Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef continues.

The court’s action establishes certain deadlines for persons who may be eligible to share in the JBS Settlement. The “Settlement Classes” include cattle feeders who directly sold fed cattle for slaughter to Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and/or National Beef from June 1, 2015 to February 29, 2020 and/or for persons who held a long position in live cattle futures traded on the CME prior to June 1, 2015 and subsequently liquidated that long position through an offsetting market transaction at any point prior to November 1, 2016. That deadline is September 15, 2025.

The settlement website, www.CattleAntitrustSettlement.com, informs both cattle feeders and futures traders of the details of the settlement. The website also provides instructions as to how claims can be filed, and how persons can object or opt out of the settlement.

R-CALF USA urges those who meet the Settlement Classes’ description above to review the information on the website and submit claims before the September 15, 2025 deadline.

As noted in the claim form, any information feeders and futures traders submit in connection with their claim “will be maintained confidentially and will not be made available publicly or to any Defendant.”

“We filed this case after witnessing the inexplicable collapse of fed cattle prices beginning in 2015,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard adding, “Our case has been working its way through the court for six years now and we will continue in our effort to recover as much as we can for American cattlemen.”

The Cattle Plaintiffs are represented by Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP, Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel LLP and Robins Kaplan LLP.

 Bullard said that while the settlement website should contain all the information needed for those who wish to submit a claim, the court has appointed a Claims Administrator that can answer any questions potential class members may have about the JBS settlement, including any questions regarding how to submit a claim to share in the JBS settlement. The Claims Administrator can be reached at 1-844-435-8844 or Info@CattleAntitrustSettlement.com