Minnesota agriculture office would study business consolidation and farmland purchases

The bill would establish an office in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to study agriculture-related business consolidation and farmland purchases. The office would examine monopolies and consolidation among agriculture-related businesses, as well as purchases and consolidation of agricultural land by individuals and organizations.

The agriculture commissioner would appoint a director and hire staff to do the office’s work. Staff would include lawyers and economists and serve in the state’s unclassified service. The director must know antitrust law, property law, and agriculture-related businesses.

The office would advise the agriculture commissioner and report its findings to legislative agriculture committees. The reports would share the office’s findings. Reports would go to the chairs and ranking minority members of those committees. The office must submit a report every two years.

The bill would set aside general fund money for the office in fiscal year 2027. The money would go to the agriculture commissioner to establish and fund the office. The amount is left blank in the bill text. The proposed appropriation is for fiscal year 2027.