Deere has been repeatedly sued for allegedly monopolizing the repair market. Now the tractor giant will give farmers the right to repair.

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

Deere will allow farmers to repair own equipment after years of debate

Jan 09, 2023

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

By Simone Del Rosario (Business Correspondent), Emma Stoltzfus (Editor)

Tractor giant Deere & Co. and the American Farm Bureau Federation reached an agreement that gives farmers the right to repair their own farm equipment or take it to an independent technician. It’s a move that should save farmers time and money and marks a significant settlement in the “right to repair.”

When it comes to technology, manufacturers often limit who has the tools, parts and information to fix it when it breaks. The result: companies get to keep business in house. For instance, until recently, if someone’s MacBook broke, the person would have to take it to the Apple Store and pay a premium to get it fixed.

The right to repair movement pushes companies to make parts, tools and information readily available so the consumer can fix the technology at home or take it to the repair shop of their choice. And while the conversation around the right to repair often centers around consumer electronics, farmers just scored a major victory in the space.

“As you use equipment, we all know at some point in time, there’s going to be problems with it. And we did have problems with having the opportunity to repair our equipment where we wanted to, or even repair it on the farm,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said at a conference over the weekend.

The issue for farmers has become more pressing as machinery adopted high-tech equipment like software and sensors to maximize agricultural production. Deere has used software locks that only authorized dealers could disable, limiting options and causing delays in repairs.

The Farm Bureau said it took years of hard work to get to this agreement with Deere and hopes the memorandum of understanding will serve as a model for other manufacturers. Those conversations are reportedly already in the works.

The memo between Deere and AFBF said its purpose is to address “right to repair” through the private sector, rather than through legislation or regulation. Deere has been repeatedly sued for allegedly monopolizing the repair market and state and federal lawmakers alike have considered various forms of right-to-repair bills.

In the memo, the Farm Bureau agreed to “refrain from introducing, promoting, or supporting federal or state ‘Right to Repair’ legislation” that goes beyond the current agreement.

Tags: American Farm Bureau Federation, Farming

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY, MANUFACTURERS OFTEN LIMIT WHO HAS THE TOOLS, PARTS AND INFORMATION TO FIX IT WHEN IT BREAKS.

IT’S A PRETTY SMART WAY TO KEEP BUSINESS IN HOUSE. THINK ABOUT IT. UP UNTIL RECENTLY, WHEN SOMETHING ON YOUR MACBOOK BROKE – YOU HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE APPLE STORE AND PAY THEM TO FIX IT. AND IT’S NEVER CHEAP.

THE RIGHT TO REPAIR MOVEMENT PUSHES COMPANIES TO MAKE THESE PARTS, TOOLS AND INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE SO YOU CAN FIX IT YOURSELF OR TAKE IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP OF YOUR CHOICE.

AND WHILE WE OFTEN THINK OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS IN THIS SPACE, FARMERS JUST SCORED A MAJOR VICTORY.

AFBF PRESIDENT ZIPPY DUVALL: As you use equipment, we all know at some point in time, there’s going to be problems with it. And we did have problems with having the opportunity to repair our equipment where we wanted to, or even repair it on the farm.

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: TRACTOR GIANT DEERE JUST SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU THAT GIVES FARMERS THE RIGHT TO REPAIR THEIR OWN FARM EQUIPMENT OR TAKE IT TO WHATEVER TECHNICIAN THEY WANT. IT’S A MOVE THAT SHOULD SAVE FARMERS TIME AND MONEY.

THE ISSUE BECAME MORE PRESSING AS FARM MACHINERY ADOPTED HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT LIKE SOFTWARE AND SENSORS. THE FARM BUREAU SAYS IT TOOK YEARS OF WORK TO GET TO THIS AGREEMENT, AND HOPES IT’LL SERVE AS A MODEL FOR OTHER MANUFACTURERS. THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ALREADY IN THE WORKS.

THE MEMO SAYS ITS PURPOSE IS TO ADDRESS RIGHT TO REPAIR THROUGH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, RATHER THAN THROUGH LEGISLATION OR REGULATION.

DEERE HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY MONOPOLIZING THE REPAIR MARKET. AND STATE AND FEDERAL LAWMAKERS ALIKE HAVE CONSIDERED RIGHT TO REPAIR BILLS.

IN THE MEMO, THE FARM BUREAU AGREES TO REFRAIN FROM INTRODUCING, PROMOTING OR SUPPORTING RIGHT TO REPAIR LEGISLATION THAT GOES BEYOND THE CURRENT ARRANGEMENT.

I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO IN NEW YORK IT’S JUST BUSINESS.