By Guy Page

For the Vermont Food Bank and the Vermont food shelves they serve, it’s an eggcellent deal.

Vermont will receive about 915,000 eggs – that’s 76,500 dozen – and $56,000 under a multistate settlement with three of the nation’s largest egg producers accused of illegally conspiring to inflate egg prices, Attorney General Charity Clark announced Tuesday.

The settlement resolves a bipartisan investigation conducted by state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice into alleged price manipulation by Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum and Hickman’s Egg Ranch. Investigators found the companies coordinated behind the scenes from June 2022 through March 2025 to influence the widely used Urner Barry egg price index, artificially driving up prices paid by retailers and consumers nationwide.

As part of the agreement, the companies will donate 53 million eggs and pay $3.3 million to participating states. Vermont’s share includes about 915,000 eggs, which will be distributed through the Vermont Foodbank, along with $56,000.

“While consumers struggled to afford rising costs of basic groceries, the largest egg producers in the country were colluding to artificially inflate prices,” Clark said. “They rigged the system and took money out of Vermonters’ pockets. This settlement holds them accountable and will support the Vermont Foodbank as it works to address hunger in our state.”

According to the investigation, executives at the companies exchanged communications encouraging one another to submit higher bids to the Urner Barry pricing service. In one example cited by investigators, the CEO of Hickman’s Egg Ranch emailed executives at the other companies in December 2022 urging them to submit “strong bids, early and often” to push prices higher. The companies allegedly responded by submitting dozens of higher-priced bids, leading the benchmark index to rise.

John Sayles, CEO of the Vermont Foodbank, said the donation comes as demand for food assistance continues to increase.

“Eggs are one of the most high-demand items from our neighbors, and it has become increasingly difficult to purchase enough to meet the demand,” Sayles said. “This settlement directly supports Vermont food security by providing eggs to neighbors across the state at a time when both food prices and demand at local food shelves are rising, particularly for fresh protein items.”

Under the settlement, the companies must end the alleged coordination, implement antitrust compliance programs, appoint compliance officers, and cooperate with ongoing oversight by participating states and the Justice Department. 

The donated eggs must meet all food safety and regulatory standards before distribution to food banks and nonprofit organizations.

The settlement was secured jointly by the U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys general from 17 states, including Vermont.