Support farmers and their right to repair
A new bill could grant farmers the right to repair their own equipment.
Last year, NC farm equipment dealers & manufacturers claimed that right to repair would violate Clean Air Act standards, the EPA just proved them wrong.
Last year, in North Carolina’s Agricultural Right to Repair public hearings, manufacturers and their dealers turned out in force to oppose the right to repair. One key argument they honed in on: claiming that farmers already had access to repair “98%” of equipment and that allowing repair on the rest would cause farmers to bypass emission regulations and violate the Clean Air Act.
We’ve known these claims are bogus and we argued against them then, but now the proof is even more clear. Even under new MOU’s farmer’s still don’t have access to the same information as their dealers. And now, in a recent letter to the National Farmers Union, the EPA has also stepped in to clarify that repair is in fact essential to keeping equipment within regulation.
Farmers are critical to our society, and being able to repair their equipment in a timely, cost efficient manner is critical to them. It’s time we stop making excuses, and pass state legislation supporting farmers and their right to repair.
A new bill could grant farmers the right to repair their own equipment.
TAKE ACTION
Former State Director, NCPIRG