(Radio Iowa) – A top U.S. Department of Justice official says antitrust laws exist for a reason and the division she leads is investigating monopolies that could be limiting the prices farmers get for what they sell or controlling what farmers pay for seeds and other inputs. Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, head of the agency’s antitrust division, spoke to law students and professors at Drake University yesterday (Wednesday). “I chose Iowa very intentionally because we’ve been tasked at the DOJ antitrust division with a few things here and there regarding agriculture,” she said.

President Trump recently ordered the agency to investigate the four companies that dominate the meatpacking industry. Slater says the Department of Justice and the U-S-D-A are also working together to investigate why farmers’ input costs are rising. “According to USDA’s data since 2020, seed expenses have risen 18%; fuel and oil costs increased 32%; fertilizer expenses increased 37%, and interest expenditures for farmers spiked by 73%,” she said.

She says the Department of Justice will follow the facts and go after any bid rigging, price fixing and other anti-competitive business conduct they may find.