Whereas the increasing cost of agriculture equipment has lead to agricultural producers having to finance and utilize equipment over longer periods of time, resulting in replacement parts no longer being available even before the lease or loan is paid off; And whereas there are currently limited legislative standards in only a few provinces that have legislation in place requiring manufacturers of agriculture equipment to have replacement parts available for a 10-year period, and this is placing increased financial hardship and, in many cases, affecting the overall financial viability of producers operations: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to enact legislation requiring manufacturers of agriculture equipment leased or sold in BC to be required to have replacement parts available for a 20-year period.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food The government knows how important technologies can be to lower costs, increase productivity, and improve overall agricultural quality, competitiveness, and sustainability. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has heard from some businesses that they cannot access replacement parts for their equipment, and that businesses will resort to retaining inoperable equipment for future spare parts as a result. Another issue heard via anecdotal reports is of difficulty accessing mechanics for on-farm work in a timely manner particularly for operations further from large communities and dealerships. In January 2025, the ministry engaged with the federal government and provincial partners on the topic of right to repair, a topic that can include the availability of equipment parts for a defined period of time as well as other types of initiatives to support consumers. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food will confer again with federal and provincial governments on replacement part availability legislation and initiatives plans and existing outcomes in order to support BCs agricultural sector and businesses.