The North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) has requested a meeting with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary Steven Vaden.
On Jan. 21, 2026, while being interviewed publicly by The National Agricultural Law Center, Vaden responded to a question about Right to Repair by saying: “The answer to right to repair is clear and direct: This administration thinks farmers should be able to repair their own equipment and industry’s efforts to prevent them from doing so are illegal.”
The Bigger Picture:
The Trump administration recognizes the economic difficulties ag producers are facing. Vaden summarized the situation as farmer being squeezed from both sides — record low commodities prices and record high input costs – and that its reasonable the administration should ask uncomfortable questions of companies for whom farmers are their main costumers. The intent of the administration is to determine if the record high input costs are being driven by normal economics or if a legal remedy is needed in the form of anti-trust and unfair practices.
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