The Polish competition authority, known as UOKiK, has raised serious allegations against 11 companies and 5 individuals involved in the distribution of agricultural machinery brands such as Valtra, Fendt, and Massey Ferguson. The authority suspects that these dealers may have colluded to restrict competition by dividing the market and fixing prices for tractors and combines, as well as spare parts.

UOKiK's President, Tomasz Chróstny, stated that evidence suggests that AGCO, a wholesale distributor, and independent dealers coordinated their sales efforts by assigning specific territories to each dealer. This arrangement allegedly led to situations where farmers seeking better deals were redirected to their local dealers or faced inflated prices when contacting dealers outside their designated areas.

For instance, a farmer looking for an AGCO tractor would often find that when contacting multiple dealers, they were either sent to the nearest dealer or offered a higher price, making it seem like the local dealer had the best offer. This practice undermines fair competition, as buyers could potentially receive better offers from other dealers if the market were functioning properly.

Evidence collected by UOKiK included electronic correspondence between the companies, indicating that dealers shared pricing information to ensure that farmers received higher quotes from non-local dealers. If any dealer attempted to break away from this arrangement, they reportedly faced complaints from their competitors to AGCO, which intervened to maintain the status quo.

The companies under investigation include AGCO and several dealers such as Agrotechnik, Agronom, and Agravis Technik Polska, among others. The five individuals facing charges include three associated with AGCO and one each from Agronom and Agrimar.

Violating competition laws can result in significant financial penalties, with fines reaching up to 10% of a company's turnover. Managers involved in the collusion could face fines of up to 2 million PLN. However, there is a leniency program available that allows companies and managers to reduce or avoid penalties by cooperating with UOKiK and providing evidence of the illegal agreement.

UOKiK also encourages anonymous whistleblowers to report any anti-competitive practices through their dedicated platform, ensuring complete anonymity for those who come forward.