By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging Texas farmers and ranchers who may have witnessed potential anticompetitive behavior in the agricultural equipment industry to submit any information they have to USDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

It’s part of a joint public inquiry recently launched by USDA and the FTC into issues affecting agricultural equipment manufacturing and distribution markets and potential anticompetitive conduct.

“We want to know about the experiences Texas farmers have had buying tractors, combines, sprayers—any big agricultural equipment from any company that sells it and from any dealer that sells it,” Deputy U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “Have Texas farmers seen anticompetitive conduct that has limited their choice in terms of repair, purchase or what they do with their own equipment when it comes time to resell it? If they have, we have the ability for them to provide that information, including on an anonymous basis, to USDA and the Federal Trade Commission.”

USDA and the FTC encourage members of the public, including farmers, independent repair providers and current and former employees of agricultural equipment manufacturers and dealers, to submit comments.

“If they provide us the evidence, we will provide them with the remedies they have been seeking for so long,” Dudley said.

The inquiry is part of ongoing efforts to preserve competition in the agricultural industry.

“If we get enough evidence, we can take action against these companies that have been driving up your costs. What that looks like depends on the violation, but when we’re talking about remedies and the federal government’s ability to deliver them in the antitrust context, it’s not just about monetary damages,” Vaden said.

If the evidence supports it, Vaden said they have the ability to “rearrange how markets are structured.”

“That’s why it’s vital that farmers take this opportunity over the next 60 days to provide this data, including on an anonymous basis, because the better the data, the better we can deliver.” Vaden said.

The agencies are asking commentors to include information on any issues or concerns regarding barriers to acquiring ag equipment and the services required to keep equipment operating, including:

  • Any relevant business models, policies, agreements or contractual terms
  • Any firsthand experiences or documented cases of restrictions, penalties or retaliation
  • Broader competitive implications—how these practices may impact pricing, market entry, innovation, farmer welfare or rural economic resilience

“America’s farmers have a hard enough job as it is,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said. “They shouldn’t have to overcome artificial service barriers to keep their farm machinery running or pay inflated prices for critical equipment. They shouldn’t suffer retaliation for fixing their own equipment or shopping around for better prices.”

The deadline to submit comments on Regulations.gov is Dec. 7.

The inquiry isn’t the only investigation underway into potential anticompetitive behavior in agriculture.

Vaden said the government is looking into how consolidation is impacting fertilizer and seed costs, as well.

“We are expecting further announcements down the chain. We’ve already signed two antitrust agreements with two different seed companies to get them to stop anti-competitive conduct. There is a settlement pending against John Deere in federal court that we are waiting on a federal judge to give the yes nod to,” Vaden said. “We’re intending to hit all the categories.”

The deputy secretary said to expect action following the fertilizer investigation in the “not too distant future.”