NFU urges follow-through on DOJ competition and agriculture report

National Farmers Union (NFU) has encouraged the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to follow through on its recent pledge to provide “vigorous antitrust enforcement” in the agricultural sector.

DOJ released its findings on competition and agriculture stemming from the joint workshops held by DOJ and the USDA in 2010. The report included the statement that “the sessions confirmed that a healthy agricultural sector requires competition and, consequently, vigorous antitrust enforcement.”

“We are pleased that DOJ has taken some further action as a result of the DOJ-USDA workshops in 2010,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Competition and fair markets have been long-term priorities for NFU and the proceedings in 2010 offered hope that this administration would reverse the decades of under-enforcement of antitrust laws. Economic studies have shown that the top four beef and pork packers dominate their sectors, so it's clear that oversight is needed to make our markets competitive."