Nebraska Settled Antitrust Lawsuit With Corteva
The state reached a $35 million settlement over allegations that Corteva restricted competition in the crop protection market.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Agriculture
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Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers secured a $35 million settlement with Corteva, Inc. after a lawsuit alleged the company used loyalty programs to stifle competition and inflate prices for farmers.
Why it matters
The settlement addresses claims that Corteva blocked access to cheaper crop protection alternatives, potentially providing relief to farms by leveling the playing field for pricing.
Nebraska will receive over $10 million from the $35 million settlement reached with Corteva, Inc. involving 11 other states. Corteva has agreed to dismantle its crop protection loyalty programs for a 10-year period.
The players
Mike Hilgers
Mike Hilgers is the Nebraska Attorney General who led the state in pursuing antitrust litigation against large corporations.
Corteva, Inc.
Corteva, Inc. is a major American agricultural chemical and seed company that was formed as a spin-off from the DowDuPont merger.
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is a federal agency responsible for protecting consumers and promoting competition by preventing anticompetitive business practices.
The details
The lawsuit claimed that Corteva restricted competition through programs that discouraged farmers from purchasing lower-cost products, resulting in inflated costs for agricultural operations. In addition to the financial payment, the company must now dismantle those programs entirely to ensure market fairness.
Timeline
Attorney General Hilgers announced the settlement on October 2, 2026.
Corteva must dismantle its loyalty programs for a duration of 10 years.
Market Landscape
This settlement follows a pattern of antitrust enforcement aimed at curbing market dominance, similar to historical actions taken under the Sherman Antitrust Act. By forcing the dismantling of loyalty programs, the state aims to reset the competitive environment for agricultural suppliers.
Nebraska farmers may see lower costs for crop protection supplies as the loyalty programs that allegedly restricted access to cheaper options are removed. The state government now plans to distribute the $10 million recovered from the settlement to address the impacts of these market restrictions.
The takeaway
This agreement highlights the ongoing regulatory focus on corporate loyalty programs that limit product availability in the agricultural sector. Farmers should monitor their procurement costs over the next decade as these programs are dismantled.
Further reading
For more on agricultural policy and state regulatory actions, visit Agriculture.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KLKN-TV.
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