DONNELLY, Minn. — As winter winds howled outside, farmers gathered in a machine shed near Donnelly on March 4 to share stories with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on how consolidation in everything from livestock markets to ag implement repairs is negatively impacting their operations and communities.
The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) meeting was held at a time when four large firms handle 85% of all beef cattle purchases and 67% of all hog purchases. Just seven corporations control roughly half of the grain and oilseed market globally. And during the past few decades, the farm equipment manufacturing industry has consolidated at an unprecedented rate, with Deere & Company now dominating the market.
“If you’re operating a small to mid-sized farm, you’re probably not feeling too good about the market being dominated by these giants,” said Ellison, who had traveled to LSP member Greg Fynboh’s farm with some of his staff to hear about how anti-competitive behavior on the part of big ag firms is impacting farming communities. “The winners and losers are clear. I do believe that companies have to obey the rules of fair competition.”…