Closing a funding gap for tractor rollover protection rebates for farmers

Four people standing in front of a large green farm tractor with grain silos in the background.

Since 2006, a federal program has supported farmers in accessing rebates for life-saving farm equipment upgrades for tractor rollover protection. When CoBank learned federal funding for the rollover protective structures rebate program was set to expire on July 31, 2025, we partnered with Land O'Lakes and CHS, Inc. to donate a combined total of $125,000 as a one-time gift to fund the program's administrative costs for a year. The recipient of the gift is the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, which administers the Rollover Protective Services program. CoBank's individual gift totaled $50,000 in support of farmers' health and safety.

Equipment rollovers are the leading source of agricultural fatalities and injuries. A total 417 people died in tractor rollovers between 2011 and 2018, amounting to 52 deaths per year on average. For every rollover fatality there are five non-fatal injuries, with 13% resulting in permanent disability. This tragic loss of life is compounded by the economic impacts of farming fatalities. On average, a rollover fatality produces a $1 million financial impact on the local farming community.

Two individuals talking while seated and standing on a green tractor near a farm building.

Retrofitting older equipment with rollover protective structures, often referred to as ROPS is a research-backed cost-effective way to reduce injury and loss of life from tractor rollover accidents. When used with seatbelts, ROPS prevent 99% of injuries and deaths during tractor rollover accidents. ROPS are now mandatory for tractors manufactured after 1985 with more than 20 horsepower, but many farmers use older equipment until it's end of life. Roughly half of tractors in the U.S. are unprotected, and more than 2,500 farmers in 50 states are currently on a waitlist to receive funding for ROPS rebates. Without the ROPS rebate, the equipment upgrades are often cost prohibitive for farmers.

Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded the ROPS rebate program at the federal level as a research and development initiative. Now that the program has proven successful, the organization is seeking to transition it into a permanently funded, nationwide program housed within the United States Department of Agriculture. CoBank is proud to support efforts to move stewardship of this program to USDA, and we continue to work with Congress and ROPS program officials as they pursue this important next step. Thanks to the program's financial assistance, ROPS have been installed on a total of 3,750 tractors since 2006, preventing the death or serious injury of at least 28 farmers. Approximately 99% of farmers would recommend the ROPS rebate program to other farmers, showing its importance to farmers and their communities.