BY DANIEL GRANT
Farmers now have access to service tools and software to repair their own equipment from two more major brands.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and CNH Industrial brands, Case IH and New Holland, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this month that provides farmers and ranchers the right to repair their own farm equipment.
Representatives of AFBF and CNH solidified the move March 9 at Commodity Classic in Orlando, Florida. The MOU follows a similar agreement AFBF entered with John Deere in January.
“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.
Finalization of the MOU follows years of communications between AFBF and multiple equipment manufacturers. So, what does it provide farmers?
“It assures farmers, ranchers and independent repair shops will have access not only to diagnostics, but also specialty tools, parts and information so they can repair their own equipment,” Sam Kieffer, AFBF vice president of public policy, told FarmWeek.
“There’s multiple experiences where (farm) work needs to get done. We need to keep equipment running.”
CNH officials also continue to seek solutions for farmers in a market strained by supply chain and labor issues.
“As a farmer, the majority of equipment repairs still happen on the farm,” said Joe Miller, tractor market segment lead for Case IH and an Indiana Farm Bureau member. “We see this as an opportunity to ensure our customers have the tools, data and specifications they need to complete repairs on their own. Or, if they need help, this makes sure technicians are available.”
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.
“This is the result of years of work and discussions with AFBF on the topic,” Mark Lowery, New Holland director of marketing, told the RFD Radio Network. “We, as CNH Industrial and the New Holland brand, are focused on the customer experience and for us, it’s the next evolution for those customers who want access to (tools) to make service and software updates.”
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.
AFBF’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the MOU with CNH Industrial brands Case IH and New Holland. But, with Case IH, John Deere and New Holland now all providing farmers the right to repair, AFBF’s work on the matter isn’t done.
“We continue to engage in conversations with other manufacturers,” Kieffer added.
Listen: Mark Lowery, New Holland director of marketing, discusses the memorandum of understanding
This story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.