Pilgrim's Pride Not Giving Up On Chicken Growers Lawsuit

Pilgrim's Pride is requesting a bankruptcy judge to let it keep fighting a circuit court ruling favoring chicken suppliers that poses a "staggering" threat to the company's viability.

In 2002, A group of Texas farmers sued the company, claiming the poultry processor had too much control over their contracts for growing broiler chickens.

Pilgrim's Pride, in it's defense, denied any wrongdoing, and said the growers had the burden to prove the arrangements had unduly damaged their profitability.

In July of this year, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the growers didn't need to prove an "adverse effect on competition" to prevail in their lawsuit.