A U.S. bankruptcy court judge has ordered that a hog producer pay a $2.84 million arbitration award originally owed to Hormel Foods, even though the award is currently still in litigation.

In an eight-page opinion, U.S. Bankruptcy Chief Judge Brendan L. Shannon of the District of Delaware overruled the objection of the official committee of AgFeed USA shareholders to a claim submitted by Hormel Foods Corp.