American farmer demands right to repair own equipment amid soaring costs: 'Money is tight'

American farmers say they are being squeezed not only by rising costs but also by ongoing restrictions that prevent them from fixing their own equipment, leaving them stuck with hefty bills and long wait times for repairs they could often handle on their own.

Virginia farmer John Boyd Jr. told FOX Business that when one of his John Deere tractors has a diagnostic trouble code, displayed to indicate problems, his equipment shuts down completely until a technician arrives. It can take weeks to schedule a service appointment, causing him to lose precious time that could be spent in the field, he said.

"We really need the right to repair our own equipment and access to technology to do so," Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, told Fox Business. "Money is tight