Krause urges comments on ag monopolies

Bob Krause, Democratic candidate for the U. S. Senate, is urging Iowans to submit written comments for an upcoming Department of Justice/Department of Agriculture workshop on monopolies in agriculture March 12 at the FFA Enrichment Center, 1055 Southwest Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny. The deadline for written comments is Dec. 31.

Krause said the session will be the “Monsanto workshop.” Monsanto's genetic patents govern 80 percent of seed corn sold in Iowa and 90 percent of seed soybeans, he said, Monsanto seed corn is priced at over $300 per bushel, with seed corn prices going up over 25 percent in 2008 and successive “value” increases since.”

“If this is important to you as a small farmer or a small businessperson, now is the time to take a hard look at the monopoly situation that has allowed this price escalation,” Krause said.  “If you use non-GMO seed, and are concerned about genetic migration and its legal implications, now is the time to make those concerns known also.”

Interested parties may submit written comments in both paper and electronic form. Two paper copies should be addressed to the Legal Policy Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 5th Street, NW, Suite 11700, Washington, D.C. 20001. The electronic version of each comment should be submitted to agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov.

For more information, visit:

www.usdoj.gov/atr/events.htm.