Ag Policy Blog

The National Farmers Union said Friday that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the American Farm Bureau Federation and John Deere on farmers' "right to repair" machinery does not solve the problem of farmers complaining that they have to get their equipment fixed by the manufacturer's dealers, who charge high prices.

Farm Bureau and John Deere announced at the Farm Bureau annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this week that they had reached an agreement guaranteeing farmers' the ability to repair machinery themselves or by employing an independent mechanic.

Farm Bureau also announced it had agreed not to lobby for government policies requiring machinery companies to grant farmers the right to repair.

See, " AFBF Strikes Deal on Right to Repair," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

"The AFBF-John Deere MOU is a non-binding agreement between only one group and one equipment manufacturer, and that manufacturer has a history of preventing farmers from being able to affordably fixing their equipment," Farmers Union said in its newsletter to members issued Friday.

"While the deal states that farmers will be able to access the same repair materials as dealership technicians, it is riddled with potential loopholes that the manufacturer could use to deny farmers repair access. It requires independent mechanics to jump through hoops to acquire these repair materials. John Deere can also walk away from the MOU with 30 days' notice, which doesn't provide any assurance that the deal will be honored.

"Put simply, the MOU falls far short of the protections to farmers that would be achieved with legislation or regulations that apply to all equipment manufacturers.

"Farmers Union will continue to advocate for legislation that will give farmers full control over fixing their own equipment until the problem is fully solved."

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@nationaljournal.com

Follow him on Twitter @hagstromreport

(c) Copyright 2023 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.