Dive Brief:

• Hollifield Ranches must pay $958,442 judgment in six payments over three years to a subsidiary of Tyson Foods for failing to live up to the terms of a cattle-feeding contract.
• A judge rejected a plea by Hollifield to hold off on payments pending an appeal. The judge ruled that the company, which is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, must begin making payments.
• At issue was a claim by Hollifield that Tyson failed to adequately protect it from market risks as cattle prices fell.

Dive Insight:

Tyson and Hollifield started their business venture in June 2010. By December of that same year, Hollifield sought bankruptcy protection. And by March 2012, Tyson had sued. That seems a remarkably short period of time to go from handshakes to court dates. Details on the case are sketchy. But one thing is clear --  this was not the wisest deal that Tyson has ever made.