Washington - The American Farm Bureau Federation and CNH Industrial brands, Case IH and New Holland, signed a memorandum of understanding that provides farmers and ranchers the right to repair their own farm equipment.
The MOU follows a similar agreement AFBF entered into with John Deere earlier this year. The Montana Farm Bureau Federation applauded the action and sees this as a real win for farmers and ranchers.
MFBF President Cyndi Johnson, a Conrad wheat farmer, said, “The MOU between CNH Industrial Brands and the American Farm Bureau is proof positive that private free market solutions to the right to repair issue are quickly becoming the standard for best practices between the agricultural equipment and the farming and ranching realms.”
“Farm Bureau committed to solving the right-to-repair issue through private market negotiations and we are ecstatic about this announcement,” said MFBF Senior Director of Governmental Affairs Nicole Rolf. “This agreement, following the one signed early this year, makes real progress in assuring farmers have access to the tools, diagnostics and manuals they need, while also protecting the intellectual property of our partners. This is a win-win for the agricultural community and beyond. No piece of proposed legislation in Montana or on the federal level has moved the needle like these agreements have, and we are proud to be making a positive difference.”
“Our members urged us to find a private sector solution that gives them access to repair their own equipment and I’m pleased months of discussions have again paid off,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Farmers and ranchers are more dependent on technology than ever before, so it’s critical they have access to the tools to keep things running on the farm so the food supply chain keeps running, too.”
“We understand the work our customers do is time-sensitive and critical for a safe and abundant food and fiber supply,” said Sally Johnson, Vice President, New Holland Agriculture North America. “This agreement is the next step in delivering on New Holland’s promise to better serve our customers, and in a way that helps them safely and effectively manage and maintain their equipment uptime.”
“This agreement underscores CNH Industrial’s commitment to empowering our customers by providing them with resources and tools that allow them to safely self-repair their equipment in a timely matter,” said Kurt Coffey, Vice President, Case IH North America. “We know that agricultural equipment is one of the most significant investments for the American farmer. As a farmer, Farm Bureau member myself and brand leader, this MOU is a positive step forward in continuing to put the customer at the center of everything Case IH does.”
The MOU sets a framework for farmers and independent repair facilities in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico to access CNH Industrial brand manuals, tools, product guides and information to self-diagnose and self-repair machines, as well as support from CNH Industrial brands to directly purchase diagnostic tools and order products and parts.
The MOU respects intellectual property rights and recognizes the need to ensure safety controls and emission systems are not altered. CNH Industrial and AFBF will meet semiannually to review the agreement and address ongoing concerns.
The AFBF board of directors unanimously approved the MOU with CNH Industrial brands Case IH and New Holland.
Read the MOU here.