Published Oct. 6, 2026, 4:18 p.m. EDT. The Justice Department and Department of Agriculture are expanding their formal cooperation on competition issues involving agricultural inputs such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment and pesticides.
Attorney General Todd Blanche and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed the updated memorandum of understanding on Oct. 5, according to a Justice Department announcement released Tuesday.
What the agreement changes
The new memorandum amends and restates a working-level agreement entered by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and USDA in September 2025. The agencies said the revised version elevates agricultural-input competition as a priority and expands cooperation across both departments.
The agreement covers supplies and services that directly affect farmers’ production costs and the broader food supply chain. It does not itself announce an enforcement case, new price rule or finding that a particular company violated antitrust law.
Instead, the memorandum creates a framework for the agencies to share expertise and coordinate investigations or other appropriate action when they receive information suggesting unlawful anticompetitive conduct.
Why farm inputs matter
Prices and availability for fertilizer, seed, fuel, feed, equipment and crop-protection products can materially affect farm operating costs. Competition concerns in these markets can also influence food-production costs and supply-chain resilience.
The Justice Department said it intends to investigate and act against conduct that unlawfully harms farmers and consumers. People with information about possible antitrust violations can submit complaints to the Antitrust Division. Reports concerning livestock and poultry markets can also go through the agencies’ Agricultural Markets Enforcement Partnership.
Future investigations and enforcement actions will require their own evidence and legal process. AskNovus will track confirmed actions through Business and Economy.
Featured image: Nitrogen application in a cornfield. Photo by James Baltz on Unsplash.