BY DOUG JENNESS
SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minnesota - More than 500 angry farmers
from a dozen Midwestern states came to this former meat-
packing center April 18 to demand the federal government do
something about the worsening conditions they face. "Action
now!" and "Protect independent producers!" was the message on
hand-painted placards held up by some of the protesters.
Much of the farmers' fire was directed at representatives of the U.S. Justice and Agriculture Departments who were on the platform. The sharper the criticism of the federal government, the greater was the applause from farmers. Expressing the frustration of many farmers, John Crabtree from the Rural Affairs Center in Nebraska said, "You've told us to wait while you reorganize. You've told us to wait while you investigate. You've told us to wait while you legislate. When you say wait so many times, it means never!" The two government officials were Joel Klein, head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, and Michael Dunn, USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs.
Rhonda Perry, a livestock farmer and member of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, stated that increased monopoly domination didn't occur just because the USDA "let it happen. It's policies have in fact favored corporate greed." Larry Ginter, a hog farmer and member of the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, aimed his fire at the Democratic and Republican parties. Assessing the meeting afterward he said, "The representatives of the Department of Justice and the USDA were indifferent and sidestepped the issues. They could enforce the laws if they wanted to."
A big proportion of the farmers were hog producers - the largest number from Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri - who were protesting the historic low prices they are being paid for their hogs. They attribute this situation to the chokehold a handful of monopoly corporations, such as Cargill, ConAgra, and International Beef Producers (IBP), have on agriculture today, including pricing. They dominate everything "from semen to cellophane!" declared Linus Solberg, a hog farmer from Cylinder, Iowa.
A central demand of the meeting was that the federal government enforce the Packers & Stockyards Act, which outlaws discriminatory and monopoly pricing by packing houses. Farmers also were demanding new legislation requiring packers to publicly report the prices they pay farmers, either in the cash market or through contract purchases, in order to expose discriminatory pricing practices favoring larger producers.
A "Corporate Hall of Shame" consisting of displays highlighting the level of concentration and profits of the biggest agribusinesses, and images of their chief executive officers, hung on the walls of the room. These and other figures presented by speakers revealed that six firms - Smithfield, IBP, ConAgra, Cargill, Farmland Industries, and Hormel - control 75 percent of all U.S. hog slaughter. Five corporations control the beef packing industry - IBP, ConAgra, Cargill, National Beef, and Packerland.
William Hefferman, a University of Missouri professor and author of "Consolidation in the Food and Agricultural System," pointed out to the participants that the two chemical giants, DuPont and Monsanto, virtually own the market for genetically modified seeds for corn, soy beans, cotton, and wheat. As many of these seeds require chemicals to be operative and some produce plants with sterile seeds, many farmers have become even more chained to these two monopolies.
The forum was initiated and chaired by U.S. senator Paul Wellstone from Minnesota. Wellstone was one of 23 U.S. senators who sent a letter to President William Clinton on February 26 asking for an investigation into concentration in the agriculture industry. This action was triggered by the announcement of a proposed merger between Cargill and Continental Grain. Also on the platform was U.S. senator Thomas Harkin from Iowa, and a few of the several dozen state legislators or state administration officials participating from Midwest states, all of whom were introduced by Wellstone. A few of these office-holders spoke first, and it took more than an hour of the program before any farmers spoke. The first line of farmers speaking had been previously organized. Following their presentations came an open mike. Even this required getting on a list before the meeting began.
Farmer groups participating included state affiliates of the National Farmers Union, which organized buses from South Dakota and parts of Minnesota; the National Farmers Union; and other state and local groups.
Several farm groups had tables in the corridor. Representing opposite sides of the political spectrum, the Socialist Workers Party and the fascist group of Lindon LaRouche had tables in front.
Doug Jenness is a member of United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 9198. Tim Mailhot contributed to this article.