The agencies are looking into manufacturing and distribution
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) want to hear from farmers, independent repair technicians, and others in the ag industry about the agricultural equipment sector.
This joint inquiry “seeks to address the growing number of complaints received by USDA that farmers across the county face other barriers to acquiring agricultural equipment and the services required to keep equipment operating,” an Oct. 7 FTC notice says.
These barriers can include consolidation or retaliation for opposing manufacturer or dealer policies.
Americans have until Dec. 7 to submit public comments.
As of Oct. 9 three comments are published on the docket.
Richard Coelho’s comment describes his equipment maintenance experience with a repair shop in South Dakota.
“They charged me $520 to sharpen the knife on my 466 baler. I did it myself in less than 45 minutes. Only 4 bolts to take it off and it is sharpened with a file,” he wrote. “They charged $786 to replace a $40 switch and then hooked it up wrong. They wanted to charge thousands more to replace the electronic controls when there was nothing wrong.”
Another comment from an anonymous user outlined how a service provider refused to work on a 2020 John Deere S770 combine.
Concerns like these are common, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said.
“Everyday I hear from farmers and far too often they bring up the restrictions they face in being able to repair their own equipment,” she said on X. “Added costs and lost labor time are the result of these misguided restrictions for our farmers and ranchers.”
The FTC’s investigation into farm equipment is its second related to agriculture in 2026.
In May the FTC announced it is looking into the fertilizer industry for potential examples of anticompetitive practices.