Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders are sounding the alarm after news surfaced that Tyson Foods may significantly reduce the number of poultry farms it contracts with in eastern Oklahoma and neighboring Arkansas. The potential cutbacks come amid the long-running State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc. lawsuit over water quality in the Illinois River watershed – litigation that has stretched on for decades.
In a statement released this week, Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek said producers across the region are troubled by the possibility of major operational shifts and the impact they may have on farm families and rural economies.
“Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are deeply concerned by the recent news that Tyson Foods is considering reducing the number of farms with which they contract in both eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas due to the decades-long litigation that the state of Oklahoma has waged against Arkansas-based poultry companies over water quality in the Illinois River watershed,” Simunek said.
For years, farmers and ranchers in the watershed have worked to address water-quality challenges, implementing both voluntary and state-approved conservation practices. Simunek emphasized that growers have not only complied with environmental standards but have gone beyond regulatory expectations.
“Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers are proud stewards of the land who work daily to sustainably produce the food products that we all rely upon,” she said. “Farmers and poultry growers in the Illinois River watershed have worked diligently over the last several decades to implement voluntary measures to improve water quality. Poultry growers are committed to following their state-approved nutrient management plans, which are based on phosphorous limitations, to protect water quality. They have also collaborated with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to enhance their natural resources stewardship efforts.”
If Tyson moves forward with reductions, Simunek warned that the consequences will extend far beyond the farms themselves. She pointed to the threat such decisions pose to already-strained food prices, as well as the ripple effects on rural communities that rely on poultry agriculture for jobs and economic stability.
“Reducing the number of poultry operations in eastern Oklahoma not only punishes farmers who have done everything asked of them, and more, to improve water quality in the watershed, but it also threatens food affordability and security for fellow Oklahomans and our nation’s residents who are already facing rising food costs,” Simunek said. “Our members also have real concerns about the negative economic impact any reductions will have on communities across eastern Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau is urging state officials to reconsider their approach and work toward a solution that supports both environmental health and the viability of farm families who have invested decades in improving watershed conditions.
“We urge the state of Oklahoma to go back to the drawing board to reach a reasonable settlement that will recognize the decades-long environmental stewardship efforts that Oklahoma’s agricultural community has made while paving the way to a bright future for our family farmers, rural communities and consumers,” Simunek said.
The future of poultry production in eastern Oklahoma now hangs in the balance as the case continues to move forward, leaving growers and local economies awaiting the state’s next steps.
