Seed Today

Date Posted: April 3, 2007

WASHINGTON – (March 29, 2007) - The National Black Farmers Association is calling on its 66,000 members to launch a nationwide boycott of agricultural giant Monsanto to protest a proposed a $1.5 billion merger by the company that would reduce competition and crush small farmers.

Dr. John Boyd, president of the community-based farmers’ advocacy group, will lead a news conference at the U.S Department of Justice - 10:30 a.m., Wednesday April 4th at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW - to announce the boycott as part of the group’s opposition to the proposed merger between Monsanto Corporation and the Delta and Pine Land Company, the largest cottonseed company in the country.

“If the Department of Justice allows this merger goes through, it will create a Godzillian¬monopoly that will have a drastic effect on black and other small farmers around the country,” said Boyd, whose organization joins the growing chorus of agriculture and consumer groups, legal experts and politicians who have registered their opposition.

“We believe that Monsanto has and will continue, through this merger, to violate federal and state antitrust laws by using its dominance in biotech seeds and herbicides to balloon prices and fees while curtailing competition and choice,” Boyd said. “If Monsanto hurts black farmers, black farmers have no choice but to hurt Monsanto.”

The Department of Justice is now conducting a review to determine whether the acquisition violates antitrust rules. Legal experts expect the department to issue its decision this month.

Several Democratic senators have criticized the Bush administration for what has been described as lax enforcement of U.S. antitrust law and have urged for extra scrutiny of the proposed merger.

Boyd has petitioned the House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the matter and has indicated the NBFA is prepared to file suit to seek an injunction against the merger.

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