SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The American Farm Bureau Federation and John Deere signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Sunday that ensures farmers’ right to repair their own farm equipment.
The MOU, signed at the 2023 AFBF Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the culmination of several years of discussions with John Deere, according to AFBF President Zippy Duvall, who made the announcement during his annual address.
According to Duvall, the MOU evolved from frustrated members unable to fix their own equipment or work with local independent mechanics.
“I know many of you are forced to travel for hours to the nearest equipment dealer. That’s a challenge when something breaks in the middle of planting, harvest or any time-sensitive job,” he said.
“I’m pleased to share that immediately after this general session, I’ll be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with John Deere. It will ensure farmers everywhere are able to repair their own equipment.
“This will enable you and your independent mechanics to identify and fix problems. You will have access to the diagnostic tools and information you need. And you’ll get it at a fair and reasonable price,” Duvall added.
Duvall said the agreement with John Deere addresses a long-running issue for farmers when it comes to accessing tools, information and resources, while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property rights and ensuring equipment safety.
“A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs,” Duvall said. “The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.”
David Gilmore, John Deere senior vice president of ag and turf sales and marketing, said the agreement reaffirms the longstanding commitment Deere has made to ensure customers have the diagnostic tools and information they need to make many repairs to their machines.
“We look forward to working alongside the American Farm Bureau and our customers in the months and years ahead to ensure farmers continue to have the tools and resources to diagnose, maintain and repair their equipment,” Gilmore said.
The MOU sets parameters and creates a mechanism to address farmers’ concerns. John Deere committed to engaging with farmers and dealers to resolve issues when they arise and agreed to meet with AFBF at least twice per year to evaluate progress.
The agreement formalizes farmers’ access to diagnostic and repair codes, as well as manuals (operator, parts, service) and product guides. It also ensures farmers will be able to purchase diagnostic tools directly from John Deere and receive assistance from the manufacturer when ordering parts and products.
The MOU provides greater detail relating to what specifically John Deere will make available to farmers and independent repair shops, including Customer Service ADVISOR and access to software, security locks and security related functions for the purpose of repair and maintenance. The agreement specifically provides that this access will not be allowed for the purpose of overriding safety features or emissions criteria.
The MOU builds on the voluntary industry commitment previously made by manufacturers and dealers, according to Kim Rominger, CEO of the North American Equipment Dealers Association.
“This is a positive step in the right direction. NAEDA will be working to learn more about how the MOU will affect dealers and state legislation going forward and will continue to keep dealers informed,” he said.
According to Duvall, the MOU has the potential to serve as a model for other manufacturers and AFBF has already begun those discussions.
“This is just the beginning of a process. We will meet regularly with John Deere to discuss solutions to the challenges farmers are facing in repairing their equipment. And I hope John Deere is the first of many farm equipment companies we can come to an agreement with,” Duvall said.
Read the MOU here.