“The meat packing industry has become increasingly consolidated, reducing market opportunities for Wyoming ranchers,” the senators wrote in a letter to Mukasey. “In the face of this market trend, the proposed merger of three of the five major packing companies in the U.S. calls for careful review.
“This proposed acquisition will create the largest meat processing company in the world. The company will also control the largest cattle feeding operation in the United States. It is imperative that a full review of the JBS acquisition include consideration of these factors.
“Competition is the cornerstone of a free-market economy. This proposed merger hearkens back to an era when trusts smothered the market and put countless smaller entrepreneurs out of business,” Enzi said. “It’s important to ensure the integrity of the American marketplace. On behalf of Wyoming, we request careful review of the proposed merger to ensure that our producers’ livelihoods will not be harmed.”
“This merger proposal affects everyone from ranchers to grocery store customers. It’s bad economics for one or two corporations to control any market, especially the livestock market,” Barrasso said. “That is why we have called on the Department of Justice to do a full review of the merger. We want to make sure that it will not hurt Wyoming producers or consumers.”
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