Grassley requests U.S. review hog producers' merger plan
20 September 2006US - Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia., is asking the Justice Department to take a close look at the proposed merger of the nation's two largest hog producers, Smithfield Foods and Premium Standard Farms.
In a letter Tuesday to the department's antitrust division, Grassley said the merger would hurt independent farmers by increasing Smithfield's control over hog production.
"Over the last several years Smithfield has made it perfectly clear that it intended to purchase its competitors to assert dominance in the pork industry," Grassley said. "This is alarming, and particularly alarming is just the attitude of the leadership of Smithfield of how they can run everyone out of business."
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., also has called on the department to review the deal.
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Source: Des Moines Register
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