ALBANY, Ga. (Farm Monitor) — When a tractor breaks down, farmers can lose more than the cost of repairs as crops wait in the field.
New federal right-to-repair legislation gives farmers and independent mechanics access to electronic repair tools and diagnostic software for John Deere equipment. The change could give growers more options for repairs, helping reduce costs and downtime.
The legislation comes ahead of harvest, when farmers have a narrow window to get crops out of the field and can least afford equipment delays. With input costs continuing to rise and margins squeezed, growers say greater access to repairs could provide some relief.
Related Stories
Growers are managing scab pressure as orchards continue recovering from Hurricane Helene two years later.
Nearly 20 years after leaving Georgia, Jamie Ellis is returning to lead UGA’s honeybee program.
University of Georgia researchers shared the latest findings with cotton and peanut growers.
Growers say the guest worker program has become increasingly costly and complicated.
State leaders say rising costs are making it harder for family farms to remain profitable.
The University of Georgia is developing new ag technology with robotics and AI to identify pigweed and remotely track insect populations in crop production.