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www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/June/10-at-746.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 25, 2010
Department of Justice and USDA Hold Workshop Focused on Competition Issues in the Dairy Industry
Madison, Wis., Workshop is the Third of Five on Competition Issues in Agriculture
The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today held a joint public workshop in Madison, Wis., to explore the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in the dairy industry. The workshop, led by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division Christine Varney, examined competition in the dairy industry and featured panel discussions on trends in the dairy industry, market consolidation and market transparency. The workshop included significant opportunity for producers and the public to comment on trends in the dairy sector.
This is the third in a series of five workshops intended to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with a diverse group of stakeholders regarding competition and regulatory issues in the agricultural marketplace. These workshops are the first-ever to be held by the Department of Justice and the USDA to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. Additional information about the workshops can be found at www.justice.gov/atr/public/workshops/ag2010/index.htm#overview.
“American agriculture provides the livelihood for an enormous portion of the workforce and sustenance for the rest,” said Varney. “Today’s discussion on the important issues facing the dairy industry has been immeasurably helpful as we consider the ways in which government can help to ensure efficiency and competition in the dairy industry.”
“The dairy industry has been hit particularly hard over the past eighteen months, and, like other agricultural sectors, is experiencing consolidation and shrinking farm numbers,” said Vilsack. “A fair and competitive marketplace is important not only for producers, but also for consumers, and today’s open and transparent dialogue with producers and experts will provide us with a understanding of the complex issues in this important industry and help us determine how we ensure competition and fairness in the dairy industry.”
Secretary Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General Varney began the workshop with opening remarks before leading a roundtable discussion on competition issues in agriculture and the dairy industry, followed by a panel of dairy farmers from across the country to share their first-hand experiences and perspectives on the industry. In the afternoon, a panel of academics and farmers will discuss trends in the industry. Later, a second panel of professionals will explore issues associated with consolidation. Lastly, a third panel of professionals will examine farm prices for milk, contracts and related issues from a public policy perspective. The second hour-long public testimony will take place before the end of the workshop.
The workshop was held in Madison, Wis., at the Wisconsin Union Theater at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and was attended by several key federal and state leaders, including Sen. Herb Kohl, Sen. Russell Feingold, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, Governor Jim Doyle and Wisconsin state Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen.
Videos and transcripts from today’s workshop will be available for review at a later date on the Antitrust Division’s website at www.justice.gov/atr/public/workshops/ag2010/index.htm#dates. Individuals seeking more information on the workshops should contact agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov.
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www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/August/10-at-888.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 2, 2010
Department of Justice and USDA Announce Registration for August 27 Livestock Workshop in Colorado
Workshop to be Held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today additional details for the August 27, 2010, public workshop in Fort Collins, Colo., which will examine competition in the livestock industry. The workshop will be held at Colorado State University, the main ballroom of the Lory Student Center, 1101 Centre Avenue Mall, Fort Collins.
This is the fourth in a series of five workshops intended to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to competition and regulatory issues in agriculture. The first workshop was held in March in Ankeny, Iowa, with a focus on row crops and hogs. The second workshop focused on issues in the poultry industry and was held in Normal, Ala. The third workshop focused on issues in the dairy industry and was held in Madison, Wis.
The workshops, which were first announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Aug. 5, 2009, are the first joint Department of Justice/USDA workshops ever to be held to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry.
Attendance at the workshops is free and open to the public. The general public and media interested in attending the Colorado workshop should register at https://regstg.com/Registration/RegForm.aspx?rid=d91b419b-cf8e-43e9-8f20-919ca06562dc&action=addhttp://www.conferences.colostate.edu/LiveStockWorkshop.
The workshop will begin with opening remarks from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. After opening remarks, Attorney General Holder and Secretary Vilsack will participate in a roundtable discussion with Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Christine Varney. Federal and state officials from Colorado have been invited to participate in the workshop. There will be public testimony from those attending the workshop and panels will feature ranchers, academics, processors and other industry representatives.
Additional details on the schedule and panelists will be provided at a later date. For further information, including submitted public comments and transcripts for past workshops, please visit the Antitrust Division’s agriculture workshop website at www.justice.gov/atr/public/workshops/ag2010/index.htm or contact agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov.
The Justice Department and USDA will hold the next public workshop on margins in agriculture in Washington in December.