AFBF Signs Right-to-Repair MOU with Case IH and New Holland

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

A new Memorandum of Understanding between the American Farm Bureau Federation, Case IH and New Holland provides farmers and ranchers the right to repair their own farm equipment. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy with the American Farm Bureau, says this gives producers the opportunity to fix problems themselves and to lean on trusted advisors.

Kieffer… “This agreement follows a previous agreement with John Deere that now represents more than half of the farm market share in the United States. And combined, these agreements ensure that farmers have the right to repair their own equipment, either individually or through independent repair shops, by giving them assurances to have access to the diagnostic codes and what they mean, specialty tools, parts, information, manuals, and things of that nature.”

Kieffer says the memorandum with Case IH and New Holland is similar to the one with John Deere.

Kieffer… “As the conversations continue with Case and with John Deere, we will be interacting as an organization on behalf of our members with the manufacturers. The agreement indicates that we'll be meeting regularly, at least bi-annually, to discuss how it's going and the experiences of our members. And as technology emerges and there's new capabilities and challenges, we'll be discussing those and identifying if we need to improve or tweak specific items within the MOU. And we will continue to engage in conversations with other manufacturers on behalf of our members.”

For more information on the MOU, go to fb.org.