John Deere and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) signed a memorandum of understanding that ensures farmers’ and ranchers’ right to repair their own farm equipment.
The MOU, signed Jan. 8 at the AFBF Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the culmination of several years of discussions between the organization and John Deere.
Nebraska Farm Bureau president Mark McHargue displays the MOU signed with John Deere at the American Farm Bureau Federaion convention in Puerto Rico Jan. 8.
“Farmers and ranchers need to have the ability to purchase what they need at a reasonable rate to get their equipment up and running or have the option of turning to an independent technician,” Nebraska Farmers Union president Mark McHargue said in a news release. “This MOU creates an official agreement that clearly sets parameters and creates a mechanism to resolve issues as they arise.”
“It addresses a long-running issue for farmers and ranchers when it comes to accessing tools, information and resources, while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property rights and ensuring equipment safety,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a news release. “A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs.
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“The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.”
The MOU sets parameters and creates a mechanism to address farmers’ concerns. John Deere commits to engaging with farmers and dealers to resolve issues when they arise and agrees to meet with AFBF at least twice per year to evaluate progress.
David Gilmore, John Deere Senior Vice President, Ag & Turf Sales & Marketing, said, “This agreement reaffirms the longstanding commitment Deere has made to ensure our customers have the diagnostic tools and information they need to make many repairs to their machines. We look forward to working alongside the American Farm Bureau and our customers in the months and years ahead to ensure farmers continue to have the tools and resources to diagnose, maintain and repair their equipment.”
The agreement formalizes farmers’ access to diagnostic and repair codes, as well as manuals (operator, parts, service) and product guides. It also ensures farmers will be able to purchase diagnostic tools directly from John Deere and receive assistance from the manufacturer when ordering parts and products. “Farmers don’t want access to the computer programming. They simply want to be able to diagnose and fix the problem so they can get their equipment back to the fields. By working with John Deere and American Farm Bureau, the need for legislative or regulatory action on the right to repair issue will be mitigated,” said McHargue.
The MOU has the potential to serve as a model for other manufacturers. AFBF has already begun those discussions.
John Deere agreement lets farmers make their own repairs John Deere and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) signed a memorandum of understanding that ensures farmers’ and ranchers’ right to repair their own farm equipment. The MOU, signed Jan. 8 at the AFBF Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the culmination of several years of discussions between the organization and John Deere. “Farmers and ranchers need to have the ability to purchase what they need at a reasonable rate to get their equipment up and running or have the option of turning to an independent technician,” Nebraska Farmers Union president Mark McHargue said in a news release. “This MOU creates an official agreement that clearly sets parameters and creates a mechanism to resolve issues as they arise.” “It addresses a long-running issue for farmers and ranchers when it comes to accessing tools, information and resources, while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property rights and ensuring equipment safety,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a news release. “A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs. “The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.” The MOU sets parameters and creates a mechanism to address farmers’ concerns. John Deere commits to engaging with farmers and dealers to resolve issues when they arise and agrees to meet with AFBF at least twice per year to evaluate progress. David Gilmore, John Deere Senior Vice President, Ag & Turf Sales & Marketing, said, “This agreement reaffirms the longstanding commitment Deere has made to ensure our customers have the diagnostic tools and information they need to make many repairs to their machines. We look forward to working alongside the American Farm Bureau and our customers in the months and years ahead to ensure farmers continue to have the tools and resources to diagnose, maintain and repair their equipment.” The agreement formalizes farmers’ access to diagnostic and repair codes, as well as manuals (operator, parts, service) and product guides. It also ensures farmers will be able to purchase diagnostic tools directly from John Deere and receive assistance from the manufacturer when ordering parts and products. “Farmers don’t want access to the computer programming. They simply want to be able to diagnose and fix the problem so they can get their equipment back to the fields. By working with John Deere and American Farm Bureau, the need for legislative or regulatory action on the right to repair issue will be mitigated,” said McHargue. The MOU has the potential to serve as a model for other manufacturers. AFBF has already begun those discussions. Read the MOU here. |
