AFBF signs right-to-repair MOU with Case IH, New Holland
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and CNH Industrial brands, Case IH and New Holland, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that provides ranchers, farmers and independent repair facilities the right to repair their own equipment. The MOU follows a similar agreement AFBF entered into with John Deere earlier this year.
The MOU sets a framework for ranchers, 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 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,” says Kurt Coffey, vice president, Case IH North America. “This MOU is a positive step forward in continuing to put the customer at the center of everything Case IH does.”
Sally Johnson, vice president, New Holland Agriculture North America, adds: “We understand the work our customers do is time-sensitive and critical for a safe and abundant food and fiber supply, 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.”
“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,” says Zippy Duvall, AFBF president. “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 ….”
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 full MOU agreement can be found here.