The National Farmers Union (NFU) said in a resolution today that it opposes Monsanto Co.’s proposed acquisition of Syngenta because it could damage farmers and rural America.
The resolution by the NFU’s board of directors said the organization continues to advocate for enforcement of antitrust laws and competitive marketplaces for farmers. If Monsanto successfully acquires Syngenta, the combined company would be both the No. 1 seed and pesticide firm in the world.
NFU President Roger Johnson said in the resolution that agriculture has faced a concentration of economic power over the past 30 years, and such a merger would be another step in that direction. “The new entity created by this merger would dwarf other agribusinesses and eliminate a competitor in the marketplace, potentially resulting in an increase in price for seeds and other inputs,” Johnson wrote in the resolution.
Johnson believes that a takeover of this magnitude should be subject to full review and scrutiny as an anti-competitive acquisition that would substantially lessen competition.
“As it stands today, the seed sector is dominated by the “Big Six,” and losing one of those would significantly reduce choice and further concentrate power,” Johnson wrote. “NFU has a proud history of working to maintain competitive market places for farmers and will continue to do so going forward.”
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