Farmers added to agenda of first workshop on competition and regulation in agriculture

UPDATE, March 11: Attorney General Eric Holder will join Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the workshop.

Farmers are now listed on the agenda of the first federal workshop to discuss regulatory practices, competition and possible antitrust violations in agriculture. The Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture "at least tentatively agree that the voices of individuals who make a direct living off the land should be featured," Lynda Waddington writes for The Iowa Independent.

The Friday workshop in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny "drew the ire of rural activists when the announced slate of participants was severely lacking direct farmer and producer input," and pressure from Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin to change that, Waddington reports. "Whether due to Harkin’s persistence or public outcry, the agenda posted on the DOJ’s Web site has been changed to include a 45-minute presentation of the issues by farmers," she writes, but "Advocates for a pure grower voice in the day’s activities aren’t yet convinced that the federal agencies are truly making room for everyday producers and farmers to speak their mind. They contend that the choices don’t provide a true independent voice," because of their leadership or membership in lobbying groups. (Read more)

Agri-Pulse has an audio interview with University of Wisconsin law professor and anti-trust expert Peter Carstensen, who "talks about why the workshops are necessary and what regulatory actions he hopes will follow."