Secretary Naig Leads Bipartisan, Multi-State Letter Emphasizing the Importance of Competition Across Agriculture

Secretary Naig Leads Bipartisan, Multi-State Letter Emphasizing the Importance of Competition Across Agriculture

DES MOINES, Iowa (Jan. 28, 2026) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig led a bipartisan, multi-state letter to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) urging a careful, thorough evaluation of the proposed merger between Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS), while reinforcing the broader need to preserve and expand competition across the entire agricultural industry.

The letter was also signed by agriculture secretaries, directors, and commissioners from Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Together, the group represents a wide range of agricultural and rural communities that rely on competitive markets and reliable infrastructure.

The leaders stressed that competition is the foundation of a strong agricultural economy, from access to inputs and transportation to processing, marketing, and global trade. While the letter addresses the specific proposed rail merger, the officials note it must be viewed as part of a broader focus on consolidation and competition throughout agriculture. Competition is critical at every stage of the value chain, and as consolidation continues across multiple segments of the agricultural economy, maintaining choice and competitive balance remains a priority for producers and agribusinesses alike.

"As representatives serving, promoting and protecting agriculture, we ask you to carefully evaluate the impact of additional consolidation in the nation's freight railroad system. The proposed merger between the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) raises important questions for America's agricultural industry, which is uniquely reliant on a reliable, competitive, and resilient rail network."

They highlighted three primary focus points for the STB to consider:

Preserving competition and choice
Farmers and agribusinesses depend on competitive options to manage risk, control costs, and respond to changing markets. Reduced competition in any segment of the supply chain can have negative downstream effects across agriculture.

Ensuring reliable, resilient supply chains
Agricultural production is seasonal and time sensitive. Transportation reliability is critical to moving inputs and commodities efficiently and supporting rural economies.

Recognizing system wide impacts
Large-scale consolidation can affect interconnected infrastructure, businesses, and communities, with ripple effects across the broader agricultural economy.

"We strongly encourage the STB to ensure that any merger approval clearly demonstrates tangible, enforceable benefits to competition and service for agriculture shippers and to support a competitive rail network that serves our industry well now and into the future."

Read the full letter here.