The American Farm Bureau Federation and CNH Industrial brands, Case IH and New Holland, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that gives farmers and ranchers the right to repair their own farm equipment. The MOU follows a similar agreement AFBF reached with John Deere earlier this year.
“This is a game-changer for all farmers who have been denied access to the diagnostic tools they need and the ability to choose whom they want to repair their equipment,” said INFB President Randy Kron, who is a member of the AFBF board.
“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.”
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 full MOU here.