Corn Grower leader asks President Obama to intervene on behalf of besieged rancher
The following is an open letter to president Barack Obama from Keith Bolin, President, American Corn Growers Association
Congress passed the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) to ensure the U.S. livestock market would remain competitive. Congress charged USDA with the responsibility to protect the U.S. livestock market from the anticompetitive practices of the highly concentrated meatpackers. Congress found that these highly concentrated meatpackers possess sufficient market power to disrupt competition. Failed enforcement of the PSA has left livestock producers unprotected from the abusive market power wielded by the highly concentrated meatpackers (Callicrate, June 2009).
According to a recent release by R-Calf USA, a rancher and cattle feeder from Herreid, S.D., stepped to the plate with two other cattle feeders to correct this injustice. Herman Schumacher and his fellow cattle feeders filed a lawsuit in 2002 to enforce the PSA. The outcome of the lawsuit was decided by a jury, which concluded that Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. (Tyson) had violated the PSA and had financially damaged Schumacher and other cattle feeders. But in a rare and bizarre twist, Tyson convinced a federal appeals court to overturn the jury’s decision and to order Schumacher to pay Tyson’s court costs.
On June 11, 2009, the U.S. Marshals Service executed a Tyson judgment against Schumacher by seizing Schumacher’s property — his home in Herreid, S.D.
The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) condemns this retaliatory action by Tyson which we see as only another shot across the good ship family farmers and ranchers are on. For some the ship is barely afloat and this action we believe is meant to demoralize and make sure that no further legal actions be taken by ranchers or farmers against agribusiness giants who for years have used their economic and political force to overwhelm their opponents in the market place, principally family farmers and ranchers and laborers. It is quite apparent that many in our industry do not have the economic wherewithal to survive an attack by a large corporation.
ACGA calls on the Obama administration to come to the aid of Herman Schumacher and ensure that justice be given to a man who has stood up for the interests of Ranchers for over 25 years. “In a sense (the writ of execution) is on my door, but it’s on the door of any producer that dares speak out” against meat packers, Schumacher said (as quoted from Aberdeen News June 25, 2009).
We ask them and the general public to make themselves more aware of the end game of corporations such as Tyson who are very willing to use their muscle not only in the marketplace, but in the political and judicial arena as well.
And finally we suspect that this action by Tyson will backfire and ultimately cause greater concern by the general public on their actions and misdeeds. We understand that this country wants a better, fairer and more local food system that treats all involved including the land and its animals with greater respect. For corporations such Tyson to ultimately survive this movement they must adapt, not attack.”
