Tag: Organization for Competitive Markets

OCM Submits Comments on FTC “Made in the USA” Rule

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 14, 2020   Media Contact: Ben Gotschall bgotschall@competitivemarkets.com 402-540-1342   OCM Submits Comments on FTC “Made in the USA” Rule Ag Producer Group Outlines Inconsistencies with Meat Labeling LINCOLN, NE: Today, the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) submitted public comments on a proposed rule that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would use to strengthen its enforcement program and help businesses understand and comply with Made in the USA (MUSA) labeling law. The proposed rule Read More …

OCM Releases Report on Regulatory Capture

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 24, 2020   Media Contact: Ben Gotschall bgotschall@competitivemarkets.com 402-540-1342   Organization for Competitive Markets Releases Report on Regulatory Capture White paper reveals ag industry and government are too close for comfort LINCOLN, NE: The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) has released a report on regulatory agency capture entitled “Captured: How Agribusiness Controls Regulatory Agencies and Harms Producers and Consumers.” The 25-page paper details the revolving door between major agribusiness firms and the regulatory agencies Read More …

BREAKING: Department of Justice Files Amicus Brief in Dairy Farmers of America Lawsuit

OCM Staff

On July 27th, 2020, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit against Dairy Farmers of America, the United States’ largest dairy cooperative. The lawsuit, filed in Vermont U.S. District Court, alleges that DFA and other cooperatives agreed not to compete for each other’s farmer-members, conspired to share payment information in order to discourage competition and depress prices, and maintained those low prices market-wide by entering into supply agreements with Dean Foods Read More …

Online Event: Meat Processing and Inspection with Dr. James Dillon

OCM Staff

On June 25th, 2020, OCM launched the first video of its summer online event series, a presentation by Dr. James Dillon, Director of the Texas Meat and Poultry Inspection Program.  This video is a great overview of the different types of meat inspection, and discusses the effects of currently proposed legislation that would affect the market access of state-inspected meat. You can watch the video presentation here: Here is a breakdown with links to the relevant sections of Read More …

Bloomberg | U.S. Meat Giants Face Biggest Attack in Century From Probe

OCM Staff

by David McLaughlin Source: Bloomberg Business Date Published: June 15, 2020 The Trump administration is launching what could turn out to be the biggest attack in a century against the giants of America’s meat industry, which already faced uproar over employee treatment during the pandemic. The Justice Department is bringing criminal charges in the poultry industry just as it opens a formal probe of beef companies. Regulators are also scrutinizing potential price manipulation, and on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are clamoring for a Read More …

WNAX Radio | Meat Packers Facing Civil Case Charging Collusion And Price Fixing

OCM Staff

Source: WNAX Radio Date Published: June 11, 2020 The Four Big meatpackers are under a lot of pressure lately with not only the Justice Department Investigation but now a Chicago Grocery Chain has filed a civil lawsuit against them charging collusion and price fixing. Organization for Competitive Markets Interim Executive Director Ben Gotschall says the problem of packers getting paid more than producers for their cattle has been around a long time. South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President Eric Read More …

South Dakota Public Broadcasting | Pandemic Widens Gulf Between Packers and Producers

OCM Staff

by Seth Tupper Source: South Dakota Public Broadcasting Date Published: June 2, 2020 Rancher Rick Fox said there aren’t as many buyers for his cattle anymore, because the four major beef processors are so big they’ve pushed out competition. He said that drives down the price of cattle. “It’s kind of like going to a farm auction and if you wait till the end of the sale when everybody leaves, you get a pretty good deal,” Fox said. That good deal for meatpackers Read More …

High Plains Journal | COVID-19 exposing stress points in meat supply system

OCM Staff

by David Murray Source: High Plains Journal Date Published: May 24, 2020 As the COVID-19 crisis grinds on, it is exposing serious stress points in the nation’s delicately balanced meat supply system. Decades of consolidation and centralization in the meat processing industry have created a system precisely attuned to serve the exact mix of retail and wholesale meat customers that existed prior to the virus. Improved logistics and data management techniques have helped the system operate in as Read More …