OFA provided comments to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada regarding their consultation on the Right to Repair, focusing on home appliances and consumer electronics.
Electronics, electronic equipment and electronic components are heavily reliant on computers and smart technologies. More sophisticated goods and services collect usage and performance data, accessible by the OEM or their authorized dealer, with limited or no access by the consumer. In the case of large agricultural equipment, with multiple computer systems, government should consider stand-alone legislation needed to obligate OEMs to allow affordable access to diagnostic and repair information and address systemic issues around data ownership.
OFA highlighted the shortage of skilled and certified repairers, especially in rural or remote regions, as a key concern for the repairability of farm equipment as is the ability to use replacement parts that are not Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) parts. It is critical throughout all farm production seasons to have access to timely repairs and diagnosis, so third-party service and interoperability can be the difference between a successful harvest and disaster.
OFA looks forward to participating in the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada roundtable discussions focused on interoperability and repairability of farm equipment.