Concentration in Agriculture
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007
NFU recently released a study conducted by Drs. Mary Hendrickson and William Heffernan of the University of Missouri on the concentration of agricultural markets.
The study documents that the top four beef packers dominate 83.5 percent of the market, four pork packers control 66 percent of that market and the top four poultry companies process 58.5 percent of the broilers in the United States. Tyson Foods is listed in the top four of each of these categories. The retailing industry has been gradually increasing its degree of concentration, with the top five companies controlling 48 percent of U.S. food retailing, compared to 24 percent a decade ago.
The good news is that ethanol production is the only agricultural sector in which concentration has steadily decreased. Today, the top four companies control 31.5 percent of the marketplace. In 1987 the top four companies owned 73 percent. Farmer owned ethanol plans account for 39 percent of total capacity.
Click Here to See the Concentration Tables.
NFU President Tom Buis testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry yesterday on the negative effects of increased concentration and lack of competition in the agricultural marketplace and the need for Congress to take action in the next farm bill through a competition title.
