The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Agriculture launched a joint request for information on agricultural equipment manufacturing and distribution. The inquiry follows complaints received by USDA about obstacles farmers face when buying equipment or obtaining the services needed to keep it operating.

The agencies are asking farmers, independent repair businesses, dealers, manufacturers’ employees and other market participants to describe relevant business models, contract terms, penalties, restrictions or retaliation. They also want information about effects on pricing, new market entry, innovation and rural economic resilience.

The request builds on recent federal competition work involving pesticide markets and repair restrictions for farm machinery. Those earlier matters provide context, but the new inquiry is broader and does not make a finding that every practice under review violates the law.

Comments are due through Regulations.gov by 11:59 p.m. on December 7. The FTC and USDA say the record will help guide later enforcement and regulatory priorities; opening the inquiry does not predetermine a rule or enforcement case.