Dos Moines, Iowa ? Both of Iowa’s U.S. senators have asked federal anti-trust officials to oppose the sale of Kansas City, Mo.-based Farmland Industries’ pork processing division to Smithfield Foods.

“Today’s (Tuesday’s) announcement that Smithfield Foods plans to purchase Farmland Foods is bad news for the future of our nation’s independent pork producers and for Iowa,” Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said. “It represents even more economic concentration and vertical integration in an already rapidly consolidating industry.”

In a letter sent Tuesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked the Anti-trust Division at the Department of Justice “to carefully scrutinize this proposal and consider the projected impact on independent producers.”

The bankrupt Farmland Industries Inc. announced Tuesday that it had agreed to sell its pork unit — its remaining major business — to rival Smithfield Foods.