THE U.S.A. NATIONAL FARMERS' UNION SENDS LETTER TO THE U.S.A. HOUSE ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT DEMANDING A HALT TO SMITHFIELD PURCHASE BY CHINESE COMPANY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 19, 2013
Contact: Melisa Augusto, 202-314-3191 maugusto@nfudc.org
WASHINGTON (July 19, 2013) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson sent a letter today to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), in opposition to the proposed acquisition of Smithfield Foods, Inc, by Shuanghui International, a Chinese firm.
“The proposed buyout of Smithfield by a Chinese interest is extremely alarming to NFU members across the country,” said Johnson. “Uncompetitive markets in the pork and beef industries have had a dampening effect on the ability of family farmers and ranchers to stay in business.
In 1980, there were 660,000 hog farms. Today there are only 67,000. In 2011 alone, approximately 2,300 hog producers went out of business.
“The costs of the acquisition far outweigh the benefits to Americans, and the security of our domestic food system is threatened by foreign control,” said Johnson. “ I urge CFIUS to set a bold precedent – that the administration values our farms, our food, and our rural economies so much that the federal government will stand up to a takeover of a large swath of our agriculture industry.”
If the sale is permitted to move forward, Shuanghui would take control of a very large portion of the U.S. pork industry. Smithfield currently controls 15 percent of domestic pork production and 26 percent of pork processing in the United States.
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
Click here to read the letter.
http://www.nfu.org/news/244-livestock/1807-nfu-to-committee-on-foreign-investment-halt-smithfield-purchase-by-chinese-company
Sunday, 4 August 2013
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