IOWA FARM BUREAU: OVERSIGHT SHOULD GUARANTEE STRONG, COMPETITIVE MARKETS FOR AGRICULTURE

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – March 11, 2010 – Tomorrow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) will begin a series of workshops to address competition and consolidation within agriculture. Part one of the series is being held in Ankeny, with future workshops hosted in cities around the country. Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state’s largest grassroots farm organization, encourages the agencies to allow market freedom, innovation and technological advances while protecting farmers from actions that restrict their access to competitive markets.

“The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation commends USDA and DOJ for exploring the competitive environment for today’s farmers,” says IFBF President Craig Lang. “Our members support strengthening enforcement activities to ensure that mergers andconsolidation from farm gate to food plate don’t limit our access to seed, fertilizer, chemicals, markets and transportation. The purpose of monitoring and oversight is to enable fair, open and efficient markets.”
“Our members also believe in a free market system and intellectual property rights protection, which help propel the kind of innovation and technological development that benefit farmers and consumers. For these reasons, this investigation and review should proceed in a way that minimizes market disruptions,” says Lang.

“USDA and DOJ should also continue to recognize the necessity of farmer cooperatives, which are protected by the Capper-Volstead Act,” says Lang. “Cooperatives and producer bargaining associations help put farmers on a more even footing with the large companies that buy their products. They empower farmers and should be allowed to be self-governing and self-regulating as long as they do not violate Capper-Volstead.”