Page 2 - aruba-today-20230214

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 14 February 2023
11 states consider ‘right to repair’ for farming equipment

Continued from Front that upset me,” said the
Republican Wood.
Wood’s plight, echoed by Wood’s tractor, which flies
farmers across the coun- an American flag read-
try, has pushed lawmakers ing “Farmers First,” isn’t his
in Colorado and 10 other only machine to break
states to introduce bills that down. His grain harvesting
would force manufacturers combine was dropping
to provide the tools, soft- into idle, but the servicer
ware, parts and manuals took five days to arrive on
needed for farmers to do Wood’s farm — a setback
their own repairs — thereby that could mean a hail
avoiding steep labor costs storm decimates a wheat
and delays that imperil field or the soil temperature
profits. moves beyond the Gold-
“The manufacturers and ilocks zone for planting.
the dealers have a mo- “Our crop is ready to har-
nopoly on that repair mar- vest and we can’t wait five
ket because it’s lucrative,” days, but there was noth-
said Rep. Brianna Titone, a ing else to do,” said Wood.
Democrat and one of the “When it’s broke down you
bill’s sponsors. “(Farmers) just sit there and wait and
just want to get their ma- that’s not acceptable. You
chine going again.” In this photo provided by Danny Wood, a combine harvests grain on his farm in northeastern can be losing $85,000 a
In Colorado, the legislation Colorado in July 2022. day.”
is largely being pushed by Associated Press Rep. Richard Holtorf, the
Democrats while their Re- and bypass the emissions tools and information to fix half a million dollars — Col- Republican who repre-
publican colleagues find controller — risking opera- problems. orado is joined by 10 states sents Wood’s district and is
themselves stuck in a tough tors’ safety and the envi- Ten years later, the Federal including Florida, Mary- a farmer himself, said he’s
spot: torn between right- ronment. Trade Commission pledged land, Missouri, New Jersey, being pulled between his
leaning farming constitu- Similar arguments around to beef up its right to repair Texas and Vermont. constituents and the deal-
ents asking to be able to intellectual property have enforcement at the direc- Many of the bills are find- erships in his district cover-
repair their own machines been leveled against the tion of President Joe Biden. ing bipartisan support, said ing the largely rural north-
and the manufacturing broader campaign called And just last year, Titone Nathan Proctor, who leads east corner of the state. He
businesses that oppose the ‘right to repair,’ which has sponsored and passed Col- Public Interest Research voted against the measure
idea. picked up steam across the orado’s first right to repair Group’s national right to re- because he believes it will
The manufacturers argue country — crusading for the law, empowering people pair campaign. But in Colo- financially impact local
that changing the cur- right to fix everything from who use wheelchairs with rado’s House committee dealerships in rural areas
rent practice with this type iPhones to hospital ventila- the tools and information on agriculture, Democrats and could jeopardize trade
of legislation would force tors during the pandemic. to fix them. pushed the bill forward in a secrets.
companies to expose In 2011, Congress passed For the right to repair farm 9-4 vote along party lines, “I do sympathize with my
trade secrets. They also a law ensuring that car equipment — from thin with Republicans in opposi- farmers,” said Holtorf, but
say it would make it easier owners and independent tractors used between tion even though the bill’s he added, “I don’t think it’s
for farmers to tinker with mechanics — not just au- grape vines to behemoth second sponsor is Republi- the role of government to
the software and illegally thorized dealerships — had combines for harvesting can Rep. Ron Weinberg. be forcing the sale of their
crank up the horsepower access to the necessary grain that can cost over “That’s really surprising, and intellectual property.”q

Maine blueberries vs. fly: U.S. senator

files bill to help

the country with a signifi- has submitted a bill to es- ed economic loss per year
cant harvest of wild blue- tablish a fund of $6.5 mil- nationwide, Collins said.
berries, which are smaller lion per year for five years The fly has also caused in-
cousins to the more ubiq- to advance research and creased use of insecticide
uitous cultivated berries. reduce the fly’s population. in fruit crops, she said. The
The wild blueberry, which “Maine’s wild blueberries Collins proposal comes as
grows in the sprawling bar- are an integral part of our Maine’s wild bluebery crop
rens of Maine’s rural east, state’s heritage and play has recently experienced
is the state’s official berry a major role in our state’s improvement after a few
and one of its most signifi- economy,” Collins said. years of downturn. Farmers
cant exports. “The pervasiveness of the harvested more than 100
Wild blueberries are ready for harvesting July 27, 2012, in Warren, The berries are threatened spotted wing drosophila million pounds (45 million
Maine. by the spotted wing dro- has threatened the liveli- kilograms) of the berries in
Associated Press sophila, a fruit fly from East hoods of fruit farmers across 2021 after falling short of
By PATRICK WHITTLE get some help fighting off Asia first detected in the the country.” that number for four years
Associated Press a pest under legislation United States in 2008. The fly The fly lays eggs in fruit crops in a row. The crop was also
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — proposed by the state’s Re- was first located in Maine in such as blueberries and worth more per pound in
The wild blueberry, Maine’s publican U.S. senator. 2011. U.S. Sen. Susan Col- raspberries. It causes more 2021 than it had been in
most important fruit, could Maine is the only state in lins said Monday that she than $700 million in estimat- years, state records show.q