April 22

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) wants a position created at the Justice Department to focus on economic concentration in agriculture.  Concentration now "goes far beyond increasing efficiency," he says.

He plans to introduce legislation that will create a position of deputy assistant attorney general for food and agriculture within the antitrust division of the Justice Department.  The new post would be designed specifically to monitor the interests of farm families, rural communities and consumers, says Harkin.

Farmers and rural economies "are being devastated as food and agricultural conglomerates amass record profits and even greater market powers," says Harking.  "Farmers face the hard realities of economic concentration wherever they turn -- when they buy and when they sell.  Farmers also pay freight both ways, so they are at the mercy of consolidation in transportation.  Consumers also bear the costs when economic power undermines competition and free markets."

Concentration "goes far beyond increasing efficiency," he continued.  "The current situation is nothing more than a blatant abuse of economic power in the greedy pursuit of corporate profits."