Farm and Garden Machinery Wholesalers NAICS 423820

Jun 6, 2026 - Right-to-Repair Moves Off Farm

• A new lawsuit against farm-and-construction-machinery-giant Deere brought by a Chicago landscaping contractor alleges the company restricts access to diagnostic and repair software, forcing equipment owners to rely on authorized dealers for certain repairs, The Wall Street Journal reports. The landscaper accused Deere of unfairly restricting what owners or independent mechanics can fix on the company’s machines. The case filed in May follows Deere's recent $99 million settlement of similar right-to-repair claims involving agricultural equipment and could expand pressure on manufacturers to provide greater access to repair tools and software. If right-to-repair efforts succeed, independent repair shops, equipment owners, and non-dealer service providers may gain more flexibility to service machinery, potentially increasing competition in parts and repair markets. The plaintiff complained that dealer service departments typically take longer to complete repairs than the landscaper’s in-house mechanics, WSJ reported.
• Monarch Tractor’s collapse highlights growing risks for farm machinery dealers, especially when working with venture-backed manufacturers, Farm Equipment reports. Despite strong funding, high-profile investors, and a credible leadership team, the driver-optional, fully-electric tractor maker’s sudden failure in 2025 left dealers exposed to inventory, service, and financial losses. Many dealers have filed lawsuits to enforce repurchase obligations after support and communication broke down. The situation reveals a mismatch between venture capital models, which prioritize rapid growth and exit, and the dealer system, which depends on long-term stability and manufacturer accountability. Dealers who trusted Monarch’s perceived strength committed capital and resources, only to face significant risk when the company failed. FE warns that risk to dealers extends beyond this one case: As new tech-driven OEMs enter the market, dealers may bear disproportionate risk unless stronger financial safeguards, support commitments, and due diligence standards are enforced.

• A bipartisan group of former USDA officials and past leaders of major farm associations in February warned Congress that current economic pressures and Trump administration policies could trigger a “widespread collapse” of US agriculture, The New York Times reports. In their letter, they cite rising input costs, disrupted export and domestic markets, labor shortages, and cuts to agricultural research and staffing as key threats undermining farm viability. They argue that tariffs and trade uncertainty have reduced global competitiveness for US crops, while the lack of a new farm bill leaves producers without policy stability or safety‑net improvements. The group is urging Congress to ease tariff burdens, expand international market access, restore research funding, and pass updated farm legislation. Their message underscores growing concern that without swift policy action, financial stress, bankruptcies, and structural decline could accelerate across US farming, weakening rural economies and long-term national food security.
• Producer prices for machinery and supply wholesalers rose 14% in April compared to a year ago after rising 6.4% in the previous April-versus-April annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Industry producer prices are at all-time highs, having risen sharply since last November due to higher machinery prices, supply chain pressures, and pricing behavior at the wholesale level. Employment by farm and garden machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers shrank 2.2% year over year in March, while the average industry wage rose 5% over the same period to $32.78 per hour, BLS data show. Employment and wages at farm and garden machinery wholesalers are trending in opposite directions as companies look to control labor costs.