Agricultural statistics is set to face Justice Department antitrust lawsuit over data-sharing chart

Agri Stats Inc. lost a bid to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit that accused a data processing company of illegally sharing confidential information that allowed meat producers to set prices.

Government antitrust enforcers have raised allegations enough to establish a “substantial risk” of future harm if Agri Stats reopens its benchmarking of reports provided to meat processors in the broiler, pork and turkey industries, Judge John R. Tunheim of the U.S. District Court of Appeals said. the District of Minnesota ruled on Tuesday. In 2019, Agri Stats stopped publishing reports.

The case, filed last year by the Department of Justice and several states, belongs to…