South Dakota Farmers Union Encouraged by DOJ Expansion to Address Anti-Trust Issues in Agriculture

The state’s largest agriculture organization is encouraged by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division announcement to expand its resources and efforts to address antitrust issues in agriculture.

“This expansion shows the Department of Justice is listening to cattle producers and other agriculture producers negatively impacted by corporate market manipulation,” said Doug Sombke, a fourth-generation Brown County farmer and cattle producer.

For decades, South Dakota Farmers Union members joined with National Farmers Union in advocating for an investigation into manipulation of agriculture markets. In 2022 and 2023, South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) brought a group of South Dakota cattle producers to D.C. to meet with Michael Kades, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Antitrust Division. In 2023, Kades attended the SDFU State Convention.

“Michael Kades stayed in South Dakota for a few extra days and met one-on-one with our members, touring their cattle operations, feedlots and salebarns to hear their testimonials about the market manipulation they witness happening to them and their neighbors,” Sombke said. “This move by the DOJ to increase staffing dedicated to civil and criminal enforcement in the agriculture sector gives us hope that justice will prevail and a wrong will be righted.”

Michael Kades, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Antitrust Division, made this announcement Friday, June 21. The DOJ intends to expand hiring of attorneys for its Chicago office, who will primarily focus on antitrust, competition and fairness issues within agricultural supply chains.

This new team, the first of its kind in the Midwest, will be tasked with enforcing laws related to agriculture.

Sombke’s adult sons raise cattle on the family farm, and Sombke said for so many years he did not see a future in cattle production because of leverage the packers had over the markets, and it seemed also the governmental entities designed to protect agriculture producers.

Today, Sombke sees hope for South Dakota’s cattle industry.

“You can do a lot when you have money – like the packers have – but you can also do a lot with large numbers and a united voice,” Sombke said. “This is an example of what can be done when cattle farmers and ranchers from across the nation come together.”