A U.S. potato growers’ co-operative has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations that it violated antitrust law by acting as a cartel to raise prices. Under the deal, which was granted preliminary approval by a federal judge on June 17, the United Potato Growers of America and affiliated companies and organizations must pay $19.5 million to grocers and $5.5 million to consumers. The defendants have also agreed to cease any attempt to manage potato acreage prior to planting for seven years. It already appears, however, that the agreement won’t put the issue to rest. UPGA officials reported in June that one of the major plaintiffs, Kansas-based Associated Whole Grocers, will likely press forward with its own lawsuit rather than participating in the settlement.
Trending This Week
Study Reveals Potential for Genetically Modified Potatoes to Combat Late Blight Threat
Potato growers facing the relentless threat of late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans may soon have a more resilient option, thanks to groundbreaking research...
Cucumber Potato Chips Set to Crunch Their Way to $47.9 Billion by 2034
The global cucumber potato chips market is on track for impressive growth, projected to soar from $38.1 billion in 2025 to an estimated $47.9...
Five Tips to Win the Late Season Storage Game
As the storage season stretches into its final months, the stakes get higher.
By now, even the best-maintained potatoes have been through months of dormancy,...
Warning: Potatoes’ Silent Profit Killer Hitting Hard
From aphids to moisture stress, verticillium, and countless other threats, potato growers constantly battle yield robbers that keep them up at night.
Yet, strangely, there’s...
What One Road in New Brunswick Shows About the Future of Potato Farming
After a long day in the sun at a late-summer field day, my colleague Jeff Douglas and I grabbed a booth at a local...