Petition to Oppose Corporate Agribiz Merger, help family farms

[lkinsale]

Sign at http://www.petitiononline.com/082303/petition.html

To: Attorney General John Ashcroft

We agree with Senator Bob Graham that the Justice Department should enforce anti-trust laws and work to stop the consolidation of corporate agribusiness. The Bush Administration's Justice Department has already approved the merger of two of the nation's largest corn processors, Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Minnesota Corn Processors. Now we are seeing further consolidation in the pork producer industry. This trend toward consolidation is anti-competitive, and could drive independent producers out of business.

Smithfield Foods, the nation?s top pork producer, recently announced its decision to purchase the hog-processing operations of Farmland Industries, giving it virtual control over pork packing in several states. Smithfield and Farmland compete for the same hogs in at least four states. Eliminating this competition means Smithfield will pay less because farmers will lose a buyer.

If this acquisition goes through, Smithfield could dominate nearly 30 percent of the U.S. hog market, and exclusively control certain local and regional markets. This will make it even more difficult for family producers to compete.

We ask that the Justice Department block this merger on antitrust grounds.

[ima_sinnic]

1. done

[blm]

2. thanks, lkinsale.

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