Media

Public Comments on the Proposed Rule: Undue and Unreasonable Preferences and Advantages Under the Packers and Stockyards Act

OCM Staff

Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) submitted public comments on a rule that the Secretary of Agriculture would use to determine whether or not a corporate practice would hinder fair competition in agriculture and livestock markets. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposed rule regarding enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) seeks to clarify how the PSA is interpreted and enforced. Download: OCM Public Comments on the Proposed Rule: Undue and Unreasonable Read More …

Action Alert: Comment on the Packers and Stockyards Act Proposed Rule

OCM Staff

For decades, a federal law called the Packers and Stockyards Act protected America’s farmers and ranchers from abusive monopoly power in the livestock industry. The courts began to water down this law in the 1980’s, giving a handful of corporations unprecedented control over meat and poultry production. As a result, farmers and ranchers are the victims of price-fixing, collusion, and predatory contracts. Cattle, poultry and hog farmers and ranchers are going out of business while corporations like JBS, Smithfield, Read More …

OCM Comments on New DOJ and FTC Vertical Merger Guidelines

OCM Staff

Today, the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) submitted public comments on the new U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines.  The 1984 Non-Horizontal Merger Guidelines, currently in place, should be rescinded, as the nearly 40-year-old merger review standards do not reflect today’s economic realities in which consolidation in agriculture has driven farmers off the land, reduced farm income, and eroded small towns and rural economies. OCM applauds the DOJ and FTC Read More …

Public Comments on the U.S. DOJ and the FTC Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines

OCM Staff

Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) submitted public comments on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines.  Download: OCM Public Comments on DOJ and FTC Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines OCM argues that 1984 Non-Horizontal Merger Guidelines, currently in place, should be rescinded, as the nearly 40-year-old merger review standards do not reflect today’s economic realities in which consolidation in agriculture has driven farmers off the land, reduced farm income, and eroded Read More …

Fueling Beef Monopoly Expansion, U.S. Lifts Two-Year Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports

OCM Staff

On Friday, February 21, the United States reopened its border to fresh beef from Brazil after a more than two-year ban, according to a letter sent by the Food Safety and Inspection Service to the Brazilian agriculture minister, as reported by Bloomberg News. Negotiations between President Trump and President Bolsonaro began one year ago, and the two plan to meet next month in Brazil. The move, which the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) warned against in April 2019, threatens Read More …

WNAX | OCM Calling For Revision Of DOJ And FTC Vertical Merger Guidelines

OCM Staff

The Organization for Competitive Markets has filed comments with the U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission on their Vertical Merger Guidelines. OCM Director of Policy and Research Ben Gotschall says those guidelines haven’t been revised since 1982 and have several shortcomings that need fixing. He says the current guidelines don’t give enough protection to consumers, or farmers and ranchers and need to be thrown out and replaced. Gotschall says there’s also a comment period going on now Read More …