Grassley vows to help prevent pork price drop

With predictions of another bad year ahead for pork producers, Senator Chuck Grassley says he and other federal legislators will work to head off disaster. Grassley says he’ll continue to oppose big-business mergers like the proposed Tyson-I-B-P deal, which he says would hurt family farmers.Grassley says he’s been assured by Tyson officials that if the I-B-P merger is approved, there are -no- plans to close any facilities. Grassley also points to the Value-Added Capital Investment Fund as a potential way for Iowa pork producers to get ahead.Governor Vilsack is warning the downturn ahead could rival the record low pork prices of 1998 and ’99 and he’s urging processors to add shifts to help reduce the over-supply of pork.