National Farmers Union (NFU) releases a resolution passed by its board of directors opposing the potential merger between agricultural giants Monsanto and Syngenta. The merger, if achieved, would combine the world’s No. 1 seed company and the No. 1 pesticide company into a single entity.
“NFU will oppose any proposed acquisition of Syngenta by Monsanto for the damaging impacts it may have on farmers and rural America,” the resolution states. “NFU continues to advocate for enforcement of antitrust laws and competitive marketplaces for farmers.”
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson says 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.
“An acquisition of this magnitude should be subject to full review and scrutiny as an anticompetitive acquisition that would substantially lessen competition,” says Johnson. “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. NFU has a proud history of working to maintain competitive marketplaces for farmers and will continue to do so going forward.”
