Statement: Farm Bureau encouraged by Oklahoma AG’s settlement with Tyson, Cargill in poultry case

Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek issued the following statement after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a settlement between the State of Oklahoma, Tyson and Cargill in the decades-long 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 are encouraged by the State of Oklahoma's settlement with Tyson Foods and Cargill to bring an end to the decades-long uncertainty our family poultry producers have faced due to the ongoing lawsuit over poultry litter in the Illinois River Watershed.

"Family farmers stood to lose the most from this long-running litigation as they did everything asked of them to care for their animals while taking on voluntary environmental stewardship efforts to protect our land, water and shared natural resources.

"We appreciate Oklahoma Attorney General Drummond's good-faith efforts to negotiate a reasonable settlement with Tyson and Cargill that provides a path forward for our state's family poultry producers to continue their ever-important work of responsibly producing food for our fellow Oklahomans while caring for the land that in many cases has been in the same family for decades.

"Our members still have questions and concerns about the settlement's agreement to a court-appointed Special Master, which would create a burdensome regulatory structure in our state. However, we appreciate the cooperation between the attorney general and the poultry companies to provide certainty to our agricultural producers."