Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney says the Justice Department antitrust division has stepped up efforts to promote competition in agriculture and gained enormous insight into the competitive dynamics of the grain, seed and poultry sectors. This insight was made possible through the first two public workshops Justice co-hosted with USDA....
Appearing before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, Varney declined to comment on DOJ’s ongoing investigation of the biotech seed industry, but cited its challenge of milk processor Dean Foods’ acquisition of Foremost Farms as proof of the Obama Administration’s commitment to tackle industry concentration....
Several Senators praised the Administration for making farmers a focus of antitrust protection, calling it long overdue. Varney called the collaboration between her agency and USDA unprecedented....
At the same, she said antitrust enforcers are busy gathering evidence in the field...
The third in the series of five DOJ-USDA workshops will be held on June 25 at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
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