Rural
29 January, 2023
Aussies want equality on machinery repairs
Kalkee farmer Ian Ruwoldt is waiting anxiously to see if an agreement allowing US farmers to repair their own farm equipment will be replicated in Australia. In fact, unless similar steps are taken here, the recently struck agreement will place...
Kalkee farmer Ian Ruwoldt is waiting anxiously to see if an agreement allowing US farmers to repair their own farm equipment will be replicated in Australia.
In fact, unless similar steps are taken here, the recently struck agreement will place Australians such as Mr Ruwoldt at a competitive disadvantage, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) says.
The "right to repair" allows farmers to take their equipment to a dealer of their choice to have a problem fixed or to repair the machine themselves.
John Deere announced in January it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation guaranteeing farmers the right to repair John Deere equipment.
"For years we’ve been calling for Australian farmers to have the right to repair their agricultural machinery," NFF vice-president David Jochinke, a grain grower and livestock producer at Murra Warra, said.
"The US now allows farmers the right to repair their own John Deere farm equipment or to take the equipment to a dealer of their choice to fix a problem," Mr Jochinke said.
"The agreement also includes access to necessary codes."
Mr Jochinke said he was confident the regulation, if introduced in Australia, would flow to other machinery manufacturers.
"For years we’ve been calling for Australian farmers to have the right to repair their agricultural machinery," he said.
"It's critical to have this right, because loss of time – especially at harvest or cropping– is time that can never be recovered.
"Changed weather can result in enormous loss because of our inability to make what are sometimes simple repairs.
“Farmers deal with unpredictable weather and need to have equipment in running condition when needed."
Mr Jochinke said he had heard of dealers being "not friendly" towards farmers who made their own repairs.
He had also heard that some farmers had "gone to the end of the repairs line" if they had attempted to make their own repairs, he said.
"Farmers are small business owners who should have the same right as anyone else to repair their own machinery or have it repaired by their preferred mechanics without fear of voiding warranties or being forced to travel long distances to access authorised repairs and then being burdened sometimes by lack of available parts.
"This change would significantly reduce repair work delays and get farmers and their machinery back in the paddocks much quicker.
"Having a header out of commission during harvest can be the difference between a profitable year or running at a loss for a grain grower."
Mr Ruwoldt said the NFF push was a positive move.
''This is an issue for a lot of farmers," he said.
Mr Ruwoldt said farmers were being locked into exorbitant costs with dealership networks for repairs and spare parts.
Costs for the company's repair staff could be $130 an hour, plus travelling, and the wait could be lengthy.
"Often it's software issues and codes are involved," Mr Ruwoldt said.
"It's okay while machinery is under warranty but when the equipment's not under warranty it can be a real issue.
"Often farmers don't wan't to make major changes; these repairs are simple.
"They just want to keep the machinery rolling."
Following the lead of other countries on the right to repair would also open up competition, he said.
"Right to repair regimes are being introduced across most advanced economies around the world, including specific protections for agricultural machinery.
"It’s essential the Australian Government keeps pace with the world to ensure Australian farmers can fix their machinery on-farm."
This was backed by the Productivity Commission’s Right to Repair Inquiry in 2021, which recommended the Government "should introduce a repair supplies obligation on agricultural machinery".
The NFF is calling on the Government to now put that in action.
"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," Ms Simson said.
“It is important that we keep pace with our counterparts around the world."