Monopsony Issues in Agriculture: Buying Power of Processors in Our Nation's Agricultural Markets: Hearing Before the Committee on the Judiciary
by
United States Congress Senate
Original publisher: Washington: U.S. G.P.O.: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 2004. OCLC Number: (OCoLC)55965608 Subject: Agricultural ...
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Original publisher: Washington: U.S. G.P.O.: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 2004. OCLC Number: (OCoLC)55965608 Subject: Agricultural prices -- United States. Excerpt: ... 11 STATEMENT OF R. HEWITT PATE, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GEN-ERAL, ANTITRUST DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WASHINGTON, D.C. ATE Mr. P. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee. I would start by saying that I welcome the scru-tiny. In our system of Government, that is how we improve our public institutions, and so I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this Committee today. I have a longer written statement, but I would like to begin with a briefer statement, if I may. Senator C. Your full statement will be a part of the record. RAIG Thank you. ATE Mr. P. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The agricultural marketplace, as many of you have mentioned, is undergoing significant change - international challenges, techno-logical innovation, and new forms of business relationships. In the midst of these changes, farmers are rightly concerned about wheth-er agricultural markets are remaining competitive. We take these concerns very seriously. We know that competition at all levels in the production process leads to better quality, more innovation, and competitive prices. Enforcement of the antitrust laws can benefit farmers as purchasers of goods and services that allow them to grow crops and raise livestock, just as it also protects consumers of the crops that they raise and sell. We have been very active in enforcing the antitrust laws in the agricultural sector. We have also undertaken a special outreach ef-fort, meeting with producers and producer groups in Washington and around the country to listen to their concerns and to improve everyone's understanding of the role of the antitrust laws. This afternoon's hearing focuses on monopsony, and I think it is fair to say that, more than some other industries, agriculture has a structure that makes so-called monopsony c...
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