(Justice.gov)

U.S. Justice Dept. urges rejection of CP voting trust

Reuters — The U.S. Justice Department on Friday urged a regulator to reject a voting trust Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) has proposed as part of its takeover bid for U.S. railway Norfolk Southern, saying it could hurt competition and would violate rules. In mid-November, CP disclosed a $28 billion offer for the Virginia-based company, which

Where Their Food Comes From

There are two complaints which have been heard hundreds of times from farm meeting platforms or in coffee shop conversations. “Consumers don’t know where their food comes from anymore – they just think it comes from the supermarket.” Then there’s “Farming is not the traditional mom-and-pop operation anymore – it’s a business.” Those are statements


R-CALF Sets Sights On Packer Consolidation – for Aug. 19, 2010

Activist ranch lobby group R-CALF USA’s call for tougher enforcement of the 1920s-era Packer and Stockyards Act south of the border came under fire at the recent Canadian Cattlemen’s Association semiannual meeting last week. CCA director of international relations John Masswohl said that even though the discussion around the issue known as GIPSA – the

Vilsack Promises To Hear Concerns Of Dairy Farmers

U. S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told struggling U. S. dairy producers on June 25 the government is looking to expand marketing opportunities for the industry, which has seen its ranks nearly cut in half during the last decade. Vilsack, speaking at the third of five “town hall” events on anti-trust issues in agriculture that


“Chicken Feed” Sums Up U. S. Poultry Returns

In a morning session of the May 21 U. S. Department of Justice-Department of Agriculture workshop on ag and antitrust enforcement, Alabama poultry grower Garry Staples told officials he expected “retaliation” from the firm he grows chickens for because of his participation in that event’s discussion of poultry contracts. Not so, opined Assistant Attorney General

USDA-DOJ Workshop Better Work

“I can buy seed from 100 different companies but 90 per cent of all the germplasm in it comes from just one company, Monsanto.” The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, better known as NASCAR, often brags that it’s the only sport in the world to begin every new season with its biggest, richest


Agribusiness Monopolies Under Scrutiny

“Big is not necessarily bad, but big can be bad if power that comes from being big is misused.” – U. S. ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER Two U. S. cabinet members and other top officials have pledged a thorough examination of allegations that monopolistic practices in agriculture are driving small farmers out of business and

Just Plain Common Sense

When governments come forward with programs to help those in need, in this case farmers, we’d like to believe they are developed with the best of intentions. But it seems those good intentions are routinely smothered in what could only be called games bureaucracies play in the name of protecting the public purse. We don’t


Monsanto Says Justice Officials Want Seed Access Details

Monsanto Co. said Jan. 14 that the U. S. Department of Justice has issued a civil investigative demand for information on the company’s key soybean traits business after complaints that Monsanto was trying to limit access to push a new, pricier product instead. Monsanto said it was cooperating with the department and reiterated that it

DuPont Urges Curbs On Monsanto

DuPont has asked U. S. regulators to rein in practices by seed industry leader Monsanto Co., claiming its rival is hindering competition and limiting innovation needed to feed a growing world population. DuPont, which owns Pioneer Hi-Bred International, said Jan. 8 Monsanto is unfairly using monopoly powers to drive up prices and stymie competition. “Monsanto