BISMARCK—Farmers in North Dakota and the rest of the country are monitoring an evolving legal case against a giant equipment manufacturer. They say repair restrictions aren’t the only service headaches farmers encounter.
The Federal Trade Commission last week sued John Deere, accusing the company of an unfairly dominant market share. It says farmers have to rely on Deere’s network of authorized dealers for necessary repairs, driving up costs and creating scheduling delays.
North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne says he hopes this case brings out the facts in securing a resolution. He adds the need for flexibility covers other ground, too.
He says another area is transportation, where farmers might encounter vastly different price structures in getting their commodities shipped out, depending on the railway competition in various parts of the country. As for the John Deere case, the company calls the lawsuit “meritless,” and says it plans to offer self-repair capabilities as farmers work with emerging technologies on tractors.
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