State agriculture leaders voice concerns over rail merger

The heads of 10 state departments of agriculture, including Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, sent a letter to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) last week raising concerns with the proposed megamerger by railroad companies Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. "Over generations, farm families and agribusinesses have experienced rail consolidation, which resulted in fewer choices and increased shipper vulnerability where competitive alternatives are limited," the department heads write.

The letter calls on the STB to measure the merger by its impact on the public interest and that any merger approval must have "tangible, enforceable benefits to competition." The letter notes that the shipment of agricultural goods is not a choice between rail and truck, but rather rail is essential and thus maintaining a competitive rail network is critical to the food system.

Joining Commissioner Petersen in signing the letter were leaders from Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. You can find the full letter by clicking here: CommissionerLetter.