Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers filed suit Monday -- along with the U.S. Department of Justice and a dozen other attorneys general -- to block the creation of a virtual beef monopoly.

Brazilian-based, JBS, is in the process of buying two of the nation's largest beef processors, National Beef Packaging and the Smithfield Beef Group.

The Oregon AG's spokesman, Jake Weigler, says if successful, the mergers would concentrate 80 percent of the nation's processing capacity in three firms.

Jake Weigler: "By allowing that consolidation in the middle there they can really put the screws to ranchers to force them to sell at a lower price. And then in turn they can essentially set the price for consumers by controlling so much of the market that there really isn't anywhere else consumers can go."

Weigler says the hope is that by filing court action the government will step in and block the consolidation.

National Beef officials said they were disappointed by the lawsuit and plan to "vigorously contest" it. 

JBS did not immediately return messages left at its U.S. headquarters.