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Farmer says right to repair agreement is great news for agriculture

A Western Kansas farmer says the recent right to repair agreement creates more competition and a fairer marketplace.

David Schemm says  it should give him cost-effective alternative to repairing equipment. “This is not about trying to get around safety or emissions.  This is about allowing opportunity to be more effective, more efficient.”

The American Farm Bureau Federation and John Deere signed a memorandum of understanding at AFBF’s annual convention earlier this week that would enable farmers to work with independent mechanics to identify and fix problems.

Schemm says it could reduce time and labor costs. “Nothing can frustrate a farmer more than when it can cost him more than $500 – this is personal experience – to have a dealership to come out there simply because a faulty sensor started working again, just for a service call and for them to hook up to a laptop.”

Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue tells Brownfield the agreement culminates several years of discussions with John Deere. “It signals from our manufacturers that they do care about our farmers and that they own equipment and they have the right to repair it.  They are ok with us fixing it ourselves, acquiring the tools to fix it or having a third party help us fix the equipment.”

Right to Repair policy was initially brought forward by NEFB.