Farmers Union Members Want More Competition in Agriculture

This week, hundreds of Farmers Union members are in Washington, D.C., for the National Farmers Union's Legislative Fly-In.

In addition to passing a new farm bill, addressing consolidation in the agriculture industry is another top priority. Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer says that FTC Chair Lina Khan is in their corner when it comes to important issues like right to repair.

"She's making some real headway taking on the corporate monopolies and their anti-competitive practices, and she gets the problems that we have with right to repair," said Schweitzer. "No doubt about it. She understands the issue inside and out clearly is drafting some rules that's going to have a real impact on that issue."

He says Farmers Union members appreciate the effort that the Biden-Harris Administration is making in addressing corporate monopolies and their effect on family farmers and ranchers, including the Department of Justice.

"They opened up a new office in Chicago to just address the anti-competitive practices of agricultural corporations," said Schweitzer. "They put it out in Chicago so that they could have boots in the ground in the areas that it's happening. And they hired a bunch more attorneys. So, we've got some good things going on to address these anti-competitive practices."

The National Farmers Union believes that decades of consolidation in the agriculture industry has devastated family agriculture. And through its fairness for farmers campaign, NFU says it remains committed to advocating for fair agriculture, markets and more.

Source: Ag Information Network & Western Ag Network