June 23, 2009

 

Enforcement of agricultural antitrust laws is nearly nonexistent in the past decade, leading to quick consolidation and concentration within nearly every agricultural segment, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU) in the US.

 

It is the responsibility of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) to maintain fair trade practices in the marketing of livestock, provide financial protection for participants in livestock transactions and ensure open competitive marketing conditions and meat and livestock, said a NFU letter to GIPSA.

 

Farmers and ranchers have been fighting anti-competitive practices in a disadvantage position, said the NFU. Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Government Accountability Office (GAO) have both found GIPSA failing to meet its responsibilities.

 

Independent farmers and ranchers in the US are now looking to GIPSA Administrator Dudley Butler to reverse the history of inaction at the agency and to ensure the restoration of competitive markets, the letter said.