About
The lawsuit claims that National Milk Producers Federation, Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Agri-Mark, Inc., (collectively “Defendants”) violated the law by entering into a conspiracy to reduce milk output through a “herd retirement program,” where farmers who bid to participate in the program sent their herds of milking cows to slaughter in exchange for payment, allegedly limiting the production of raw milk and driving up prices for butter and cheese. The Defendants deny doing anything wrong. The Court has not decided who is right.
The current lawsuit affects both businesses and individual consumers in the United States that purchased butter and/or cheese directly from one or more of the CWT members including the Defendants, during the period from December 6, 2008, to July 31, 2013.