TRANSPORTATION

Farm Groups Oppose Railroad Merger: A coalition of farmer groups opposes Union Pacific’s proposed $5.4-billion acquisition of Southern Pacific on grounds it would stifle competition and raise shipping rates. The nine-member coalition includes heavyweights in agriculture such as wheat, cotton and rice growers and the 4-million member American Farm Bureau Federation. They are petitioning the House Agriculture Committee to hold hearings to assess the cost to agriculture. If approved by the Surface Transportation Board, the UP deal would be the largest railroad combination in U.S. history. The board is scheduled to decide by July 3. The proposed acquisition would link 31,000 miles of track stretching from Canada to Mexico and from the Midwest to the Pacific.