Arizona’s largest egg producer, Buckeye-based Hickman’s Egg Ranch, has agreed to pay $1 million and donate 3.25 million eggs under a proposed settlement after federal and state officials alleged the company helped manipulate egg prices while families were paying more at the grocery store.
The Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general filed a civil lawsuit against Hickman’s Egg Ranch, Cal-Maine Foods and Versova, accusing the companies of coordinating bidding activity tied to Urner Barry Publications, a benchmark price reporter used in contracts affecting grocery stores, restaurants and other egg buyers.
Investigators alleged the companies worked from roughly June 2022 to March 2025 to push up daily price quotations by submitting coordinated bids in the hours before benchmarks were published. The DOJ said billions of eggs are sold each year using those Urner Barry quotations.
Under the proposed settlement, Hickman’s would be barred from coordinating with competitors over prices, bid timing or supply information and would have to adopt antitrust compliance measures. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said all three companies would pay a combined $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofit organizations across participating states.
“Some price increases, like those affecting eggs, were the result of illegal price-fixing by major egg producers,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said.
The Associated Press reported none of the companies admitted wrongdoing under the settlements. Hickman’s current owner, Mantiqueira USA, said the conduct referenced in the complaint happened before it acquired the company.
The deal still needs court approval. After a 60-day public comment period, a federal judge in Iowa can enter final judgment if the court finds the settlement serves the public interest.
