In an effort to promote farmers’ right to repair their own equipment, American Farm Bureau Federation has signed two more right to repair MOUs, this time with AGCO and Kubota, adding to MOUs already in place with John Deere and CNH Industrial. Emily Buckman, AFBF Government Affairs Director, says these four agreements cover roughly 70 percent of the agricultural machinery sold in the United States.
“We’re extremely excited that we have now secured four memorandums of understanding since January,” she said. “Right to repair has been an important issue for a number of years and this effort has been a culmination of years of discussion with manufacturers, and we’re excited to see our efforts come to fruition. And we do believe that this is something that will provide our members with the tools that they need to make necessary repairs when their equipment breaks down.”
Buckman says it’s all about reducing downtime in the field.
“When equipment breaks down, that’s time and money for a farmer. So, by giving farmers and ranchers easier access to the tools needed to make fixes to their equipment, that means that they’re able to get it back up and running so they can plant, harvest, whatever it is that they’re doing at the time. And this isn’t just extended to farmers and ranchers, but also, to independent repair shops as well.”
And what do farmers receive as the result of the MOUs?
“The MOUs outline that farmers and independent repair shops have access to diagnostic or repair codes, manuals, product guides, the ability to directly purchase diagnostic tools from the manufacturer, as well as assistance from the manufacturers,” Buckman explained. “It allows our organization to engage with manufacturers regularly, see what’s working, see what’s not.”
Farm Bureau will also be able to consider amendments to address the needs of members and make updates as technology advances.
