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p3<5889sy>|q9s9gs|q+~q|s9x|q>gxϟ9<ϙ?3>gϞ|3s9>g>gyϟ"~όsy>g3:>g?<ϙ?0>g9 0s8?>g>gyϟ"~@sx>`02f>`? ϙ?0>g9 0y>O?'<>g>gyϟ&~@sx>`0O>p? ϙ?3>gϓ3y>O'?>g>gyϟǁ ~sy>g3O> ß?O >ϙ?3>ǵ?3y>O'?>g>gyϟ~|sy>g3_>ϟ?O&>yϘ9>sx?9>O'9>g>s|qϟς??<|yǞys|>s9|gx?&?Ϝ898>p8"?<>g>pϜxp~s>p8?px?&?ϟ yy>>x?<>"?>g>|'Ϝ|>x?s>|>?sx?~ߐdžߏǂ?σ{??σ>=<??ρ x8ς'ρ>Oρ>Oρ񟞁ς'ρ>Oρ>Oρ?~?ρς-'σO>OO>O!?<x y<ρ27N>o>o<`yLJ?8p >|q89?ρ2?s8x9yy|9?sg993ρ? 33~ρyy?sg983ρ? ə3&0~s  ?8xyǎx|?3?~8q3-τO8!9s<pg? ????(@*J:\DRAFTS\NRLOGO.WPGJ:\DRAFTS\NRLOGO.WPGhd\,3BV4d\,(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular( $ Figure  1  Z I&mage <=8C HKKKK p!XXXX  XXXX  _,  _j\(6&"`z1% `E,,%y%y,,%j (#(#        (#(#ReleaseNo.00113.00+XXXX#XXX+Xb#Susan_McAvoy_Ԁ(202)72046234    5  susan.mcavoy@usda.gov6 4   7 (#e | P  LeahAkbar(202)72070514    5  Leah_L.Akbar@usda.gov6#   7 (#T \ 0   GLICKMANSENDSUSDATEAMSTOASSESSPROPOSEDPACKINGPLANT , ACQUISITIONINIOWA   WASHINGTON,April10,2000AgricultureSecretaryDanGlickmanissendingtwoUSDArapidresponseteamstoIowa,Illinois,andWisconsintoassesstheimpactofaproposedpackingplantacquisitiononareahogfarmers.TheSecretarysactioncomesinresponsetotherecentannouncementthatSmithfieldFoods,Inc.,hasacquiredanoptiontopurchaseaDubuquepackingplantfromFarmlandFoods,Inc.  Increasingagriculturalconcentration_troubles_Ԁme,saidGlickman. WeatUSDAwanttobeparticularlyvigilanttoensurethatallproducers,especiallysmallandmediumsizeproducers,aretreatedfairlyandthatgenuinecompetitionprevailsinthemarketplace.  Therapidresponseteamsareabletoconducthighpriority,speedyinvestigationstopreventorminimizemajorcompetitiveorfinancialharmcausedbyviolationsofthePackersandStockyardsAct.Deploymentoftheteamsdoesnotconstituteanassessmentthatviolationshaveorwilloccur,ratherthatthepotentialforviolationsexists.  InformationobtainedbytheteamswillbeusedtodeterminewhetheranyaspectofthetransactionviolatesthePackersandStockyardsAct,andmaybesharedwithotherfederalagencies.SmithfieldFoodshasindicatedthatifitpurchasestheplant,slaughteringoperationstheremaybediscontinued.  Producersandotherinterestedpartiesareencouragedtoshareinformationwithteammembersregardingthepossibleimpactofthisproposedacquisitionontheiroperations.  OnMonday,April17,from2p.m.to8p.m.,ateamwillbeatUSDAsFarmServiceAgencyoffice,204S.CenterAvenue,_Epworth_,Iowa.AnotherteamwillbeattheFSAoffice,120N.IndustrialParkway,WestUnion,Iowa,onthesamedateandtime.   l*@),   OnTuesday,April18,from_2_Ԁp.m.to8p.m.,ateamwillbeattheFSAoffice,807AS.ClayStreet,MountCarroll,Ill.AnotherteamwillbeattheFSAoffice,150West_Alona_ԀLane,Lancaster,_Wisc_.  #