Farm leaders call for right to repair laws after historic US agreement

Australian farmers are demanding a major tractor manufacturer provide right to repair and are calling on the federal government to introduce legislation.

Farm leaders are urging the federal government to introduce legislation giving local farmers long-awaited rights to repair their own agricultural equipment.

The call follows a landmark memorandum of understanding signed this week between the American Farm Bureau Federation and John Deere, providing US farmers the freedom to fix John Deere machinery independent of an authorised dealer.

Grain Growers chief operating officer Shona Gawel said the peak organisation would write to John Deere Australia asking that the position of its US division be adopted in Australia.

She said while the MoU is “a positive step forward for a globally significant provider of agricultural machinery”, Grain Growers remained steadfast in its demand for the right to repair to be legislated by the federal government.

US farmers will have greater repair options after John Deere announced they would be given right to repairs.

In 2021, the Productivity Commission recommended the then Morrison government introduce a repair supplies obligation for agricultural machinery by the end of 2022.

This would then oblige manufacturers to provide repair information and diagnostic software tools to machinery owners and independent repairers.

A statement from John Deere Australia kept local farmers guessing. It stated the US MoU reflected the “longstanding commitment our company has made to ensure our customers have the diagnostic tools and information they need to repair their machines”.

However, “globally, we will continue to partner with industry and our customers in the months and years ahead to ensure farmers continue to have the tools and resources they need to diagnose, maintain and repair their equipment,” the statement read.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains president Ashley Fraser said right to repair was a global issue and expected John Deere Australia to adopt the US policy, and encouraged other

manufacturers to follow suit.

“But we do need government to legislate this to make it uniform and permanent across all makes and models,” he said.

Mr Fraser said opening up competition would also create a market for independent repair shops and mechanics currently lacking in the regions and increase cash flow.

It is standard for farmers to endure lengthy delays for parts and repairs from authorised dealers, leading to costly delays at harvest time.

National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson called for the Productivity Commission recommendations to be enacted as soon as possible.

“Increased right to repair in our international competitors puts Australian farmers at a clear disadvantage if they have to pay more for machinery fixes, corroding Australian agricultural exports ability to compete on a level playing field in the international market,” she said.

The Weekly Times is seeking comment from the federal government.

The government’s motor vehicle service and repair information sharing scheme began in July 2022 and requires car manufacturers to make service and repair information available to local repairers.