Statement: OKFB encouraged by state of Oklahoma settlement with George’s, Inc.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek released the following statement after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a settlement had been reached with Arkansas-based poultry company George's, Inc., in the State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., et al., lawsuit regarding the application of chicken litter in the Illinois River Watershed.

"Oklahoma Farm Bureau members appreciate the negotiated settlement struck between the state of Oklahoma and George's, Inc., in the state's decades-long lawsuit against Arkansas-based poultry companies.

"Farm Bureau members have believed all along that there is a place for reasonable negotiations that will protect family farmers' abilities to produce poultry and judiciously apply poultry litter according to their state-approved nutrient management plans while ensuring our shared natural resources are protected.

"We encourage the state to continue its good-faith efforts to negotiate with the remaining poultry companies named in the lawsuit to find common-sense, reasonable solutions that benefit all Oklahomans and residents of the watershed instead of an overreaching settlement that does not take into account the focused conservation efforts family poultry producers have undertaken in the 20 years since the lawsuit was originally filed.

"We will continue to stay engaged with family poultry producers until this issue is legally resolved to help ensure future generations of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers can continue to produce the affordable food that we all rely upon."