Sales for combine harvesters maintained consistent growth in March, while overall sales for tractors continued to slide, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
“The March tractor and combine report is a mixed bag, with an overall decline in tractor sales due to softness in the small tractor market,” says Curt Blades, senior vice president, industry sectors and product leadership at AEM. “At the same time, the segments that are still showing growth are the higher-dollar segments of four-wheel-drive tractors and combine harvesters, indicating commodity markets for ag products are still strong enough for larger operations to justify the investment.”
Tractor sales
Total farm tractor sales for March 2023 were 21,586, down 12.1% from 2022 with 24,546 sold. Year to date, AEM reports 49,443 total farm tractors were sold as of March this year, down from 58,262 this time last year. Tractor sales are broken down by horsepower range as follows:
Sales for 2WD sub-40 hp tractors in March were down 14.2% from 2022, with 14,560 sales this year, and 16,978 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 31,288 tractors have been sold in this category, down from 39,175 at the same time last year.
Sales for 2WD 40-100 hp tractors in March were down 11.8%, with 4,755 sales this year, and 5,389 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 12,047 tractors have been sold in this category, down from 13,539 at the same time last year.
Sales for 2WD 100+ hp tractors in March were down 6.1%, with 1,857 sales this year, compared to 1,978 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 5,210 tractors have been sold in this category, up from 4,952 at the same time last year.
Sales for 4WD tractors were up 106% in March, with 414 sales this year, and 201 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 898 tractors have been sold in this category, up 50.7% from 596 at the same time last year.
Combine Sales
Sales for self-propelled combines were up again in March, up 47.1% with 509 sales this year compared to 346 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 1,514 combines have been sold as of March, up 101.6% from 751 at the same time last year.
