Farm anti-trust
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(Continued from Page ij
quality and choice have diminished while food prices have
increased eight to 15 per cent a year. ”
“If the big money interests have their way, still more
fanners will be driven from their land or forced to become
the next generation of sharecroppers,” Abourezk said.
“The most blatant example is the recently revealed plan
by Merrill Lynch and Continental Illinois Bank to buy up
$5O million worth of prime farm land in the Midwest and
South. The Family Farm Anti-trust Act would make such
land grab schemes illegal.”
The American Agricultural Marketing Association has
estimated that by the end of this decade 50 per cent of the
American food supply will be under corporate control and
nearly 75 per cent by 1985, Abourezk said.
“When four companies control more than 50 per cent of
a market, an oligopoly exists. Much of our $l5O billion-a
year industry is already under such oligopolistic control.
For example: Kellogg’s, General Mills, General Foods,
and Quaker Oats manufacture 91 per cent of the breakfast
cereal; 90 per cent of the soups are made by Campbells;
SO to 70 per cent of the dairy products by Borden, National
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Dairy, and Carnation; and 65 per cent of the nation’s baby
food by Gerber.
“Most of all, many of these large corporations are
involved directly in production, aa well as processing and
distribution. In most cases, this veilical integration is
accomplished through contracts with farmers - the cor
poration does not become a farmer, it merely rents them.
The Family Farm Anti-trust Act would put a stop to this
sort of corporate domination,” Abourezk said.
Abourezk added that his anti-trust bill would also
benefit consumers by helping to restore competition to the
food industry. “Competition is needed to lower prices and
balance out the market in favor of the producer and
consumer. Corporate control inhibits healthy market
competition. Aside from economic costs, it also burdens
our country with added social costs caused by the forced
migration of rural and family farmers to cities and
towns,” said Abourezk.
“Only four per cent of the nation’s population remain on
farms today and corporations already exert far more
control than should ever have been allowed. If we wait any
longer to counteract this trend, the battle will be lost,’
Abourezk said.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 5,1977—45
My Thoughts
And welcome to them
By JOANNE SPAHR
When I was introduced to the members of my
table at the Pennsylvania Pork Producers
banquet last Saturday night, the person doing
the introducing was an obvious reader of my
column She said, “This is Joanne Spahr, she
writes about cats ” Enough. No more Siamese
cat stories This week I have another kind of
cat story to tell, though - a fat cat story. You
know who I mean - the type of people who do
almost anything for the good of themselves,
even at the expense of others
What brought this to mind was an item I read
in the National Farmers Union’s Washington
Newsletter. In that publication it was revealed
that John (Jack) Knebel, who served as
Secretary of Agriculture for a short time after
Earl Butz left office, has turned up as a member
of the Chicago law firm of Baker & McKenzie, the
firm who is the legal counsel for Continental
Illinois National Bank and Trust Company, the
promoters of the “Ag Land Trust” plan. The NFU
newsletter got its information from the New
York Times.
In the Times article it was not indicated
whether Knebel would represent the Bank, but
it did quote him as being for the investment
plan, if fact, he is on record as saying, “This is
going to help preserve the family farm."
Wonder if he discussed the issue with a far
mer or a farm organization representative
lately 7 I’m sure he has, and all 1 have to say is,
“Way to stick with us, Jack."
It’s gotten to the point that the saying, "All for
one, and one for all,” doesn't even hold true
Instead, it should be, “One for one, and one for
all” - all the land that is
Correction
In an article last week
on the Pennsylvania
Poultry Federation’s
fund raising banquet to
be held on March 31 at
the Host Farm in
Lancaster, an error was
made in the phone
number to call for
reservations. That
number should be /17
652- 7530.
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have a
nice weekend...
-u..
* -I
.. .watch
a sunrise
♦
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