JACKSON – Commissioner Andy Gipson and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) are providing notice of important deadlines to all impacted Mississippi farmers and producers related to the Hansen-Mueller bankruptcy proceedings.
On November 11, 2025, Hansen-Mueller filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska. Although Hansen-Mueller does not have an office in Mississippi, it is licensed as a grain dealer in this state and is subject to our laws with regard to transactions in Mississippi. Deadlines have been imposed by the Nebraska Bankruptcy Court related to a Section 557 Motion that was filed by Texas farmers and producers. Under the Section 557 motion (of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code), all grain producers across the United States who sold grain to Hansen-Mueller and remain unpaid should immediately review and assert their rights in the case. The following deadlines have been ordered by the court:
1. The deadline for submitting grain claims is to have the claim form filed with the court by 11:59 p.m. on FEBRUARY 2, 2026. The court-approved Section 557 claim form must be used and all documents the farmer/grain producer plans to rely on must be attached to the form when filed. Failure to timely file a grain claim will result in the disallowance of any claim to grain or grain proceeds.
2. Farmers/grain producers still have to file a normal proof of claim by the proof of claim bar date of JANUARY 26, 2026. A normal proof of claim form (309F1) may be found at https://document.epiq11.com/document/getdocumentbycode/?docId=4531557&projectCode=HMM.
3. There will be a telephonic “pretrial” hearing on FEBRUARY 17 at 10:00 a.m. (CST) “to consider the manner in which the court shall determine the nature, extent, priority and validity of any security interests, liens or other ownership rights or interests in the grain or grain proceeds will be determined.” Anyone who files a grain claim must attend by phone directly or through counsel and participate in this “pretrial” hearing.
4. All parties’ rights and defenses are reserved pending the Court’s ruling under Section 557.
5. The rights of any grain claimant against the grain or grain proceeds are not prejudiced by the Debtor’s use of cash pursuant to the prior cash collateral orders entered by the bankruptcy court.
6. All grain proceeds must remain identifiable to the respective locations where the grain was stored on the bankruptcy petition date. Any grain proceeds distributed to the secured lenders remain subject to disgorgement if the Court determines the grain proceeds belong to someone other than the Debtor’s lenders.
As previously stated, Commissioner Gipson strongly advises farmers who have not received payment from Hansen-Mueller to contact an attorney immediately to protect their legal rights. The Department continues to actively monitor the case. For your information, the Stipulation and Agreed Order from the bankruptcy court And a Section 557 Grain Claim Form (11 U.S.C. § 557 – GRAIN CLAIM FORM) are attached to this press release and may be found at https://agnet.mdac.ms.gov/agManage/uploads/3238.pdf.
