America’s farmers could save $48 billion, according to the Trump administration, because of new guidance from EPA that says farmers and equipment owners have the right to repair their own equipment.
“For farmers, timing is everything. When equipment breaks down during planting or harvesting, delays can result in thousands of dollars in lost productivity,” says EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. He says that farm equipment manufacturers can no longer justify limiting access to repair tools or software to prevent farmers and third-party technicians from making repairs on their own.
“Unfortunately, equipment manufacturers have misused the Clean Air Act by falsely claiming that environmental laws prevented them from making essential repair tools or software available to all Americans,” he says.
When a tractor or combine goes down in the middle of planting or harvest, farmers don’t always have the luxury of waiting days or even weeks for repairs. That’s why federal officials say new guidance could make a major difference for farmers across the U.S.
“Being forced to haul machinery to a certified dealership, pay higher prices for repairs, and wait in line—it’s not just inconvenient. It can prove to be very economically damaging,” says Zeldin.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins adds that farmers should not be forced into costly repairs when they’re capable of fixing their own equipment.
“In America, the timely, affordable maintenance of agricultural equipment should not be a luxury. It should be a given,” says Rollins. “Every single day, our farmers feed us, they fuel us, they clothe us by the sweat of their brow and with the help of mechanical equipment that has become practically indispensable in the modern day. But when that equipment breaks down and remains out of operation, it means crops aren’t planted or harvested, mouths aren’t fed, and America’s economic growth and national security are put at risk.”
Federal officials say the new guidance takes effect immediately.
CLICK HERE to read the official letter from EPA.
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