010120 Glickman Asks Congress to Toughen Antitrust LawsJanuary 7, 2001Washington - Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman advised Congress to strengthen the nation's antitrust laws, saying growing concentration in the agriculture industry has hurt family farmers and reduced competition. “I'm hopeful that this Congress will take a good, profound look at our antitrust laws,” Glickman said. Glickman said Congress needed to take another look at key antitrust laws such as the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and the Clayton Act. “They were put on the books 70 or 80 years ago,” Glickman said. “Those laws may not be terribly suitable or at least they may need to be revised to deal with the modern realities of agriculture mergers.” Glickman's comments came three days after the leading U.S. poultry producer Tyson Foods Inc. agreed to buy beef processing giant IBP Inc for $3.2 billion. Tyson Foods currently controls 25% to 30% of the U.S. poultry market, while IBP has a similar share in the beef market and about 18% of the pork market, a Tyson spokesman said. Glickman, who has less than a month remaining as Agriculture Secretary, said in December he sent a memo to the Justice Department expressing the USDA's concerns about the growing concentration within the meat processing sector. Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is expected to become chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, promised on Wednesday to use his position to push legislation that would promote competition and protect family farmers.
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