APAS shows support for Sask. producers ‘right to repair’ bill
Global News
APAS was asked to testify at the house of commons regarding proposed bill C-244. If passed, it would allow access to manufacturer tools and repairs to everyone, including farmers.
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan was asked to testify in a meeting of the standing committee on industry and technology Dec 5.
The meeting was held in relation to the proposed C-244 bill, allowing everybody to have access to manufacturer tools, procedures on repairing software and parts.
“As long as there’s been farmers, they’ve had the ability to fix their equipment and they need to be able to continue to do so,” said APAS President Ian Boxall. “Whether that be the ability to buy diagnostic equipment so that they can diagnose, maintain and service their equipment.”
Boxall expressed numerous issues regarding the current state of farmers repairing their own equipment. The major concern was time management. Boxall says farming in Saskatchewan is extremely time-sensitive, and equipment going down could be detrimental to a producer’s crop. “We lose one day during seeding or harvest or any other critical time and that’s dollars in the farmers’ pocket. That’s lost quantity, quality and money.”
Most problems that come up with newer tractors and other pieces of equipment can only be diagnosed by a laptop owned by the manufacturer. The laptop will receive a code, telling them what’s wrong, then the farmer will have a choice to make: buy the necessary parts to fix the issue and install the part themselves or buy the part and have a mechanic fix it. Both options could take time that farmers don’t have.
“On the service side I’ve heard stories of two days,” adds Boxall. “Two days in harvest during combining is a big deal.”
APAS wants the bill to protect the rights of producers to maintain and service their equipment and give options for third-party services.
One of the biggest concerns addressed at the committee meeting was the degree of tampering manufacturers had observed from farmers. Manufacturers say that one-third of equipment that was dropped off at dealership shops for repair had been tinkered with. The two main changes were on the machines’ diesel emissions system and the tractor having extra horsepower added to it.
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