March Ag Equipment Sales See Growth in Some Sectors, Drops in Others

The month of March saw mostly positive numbers for U.S. sales of Ag tractors and combines according to the latest sales data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

Total 2-wheel-drive tractor sales for the U.S. in March experienced a 0.3% drop compared to March of 2018. However, under-40-hp  tractors and 100-plus-hp both saw growth since March 2018 with a 0.2% and 4.8% change respectively. These increased sales were overshadowed by the 3.3% drop that 40-100-hp 2-wheel-drive tractors recorded, though, resulting in the 0.3% overall drop in total 2-wheel-drive tractor sales from 2018-2019.

On the other hand, total sales for 4-wheel-drive tractors for the U.S. in March experienced a 13.4% growth from 2018 and self-propelled combined sales experienced a massive spike of 71.3% in sales.

Canada did not see as many positive numbers in March, with growth in only under-40-hp tractors (13.1% growth), 40-100-hp tractors (3.5% growth) and total 2-wheel-drive tractors (0.8% growth)

“We saw positive and negatives to March’s sales numbers of Ag tractors and combines,” says Curt Blades, AEM Senior Vice President, Ag Services. “While U.S. total tractor sales were down 0.2%, trade uncertainties and implementation of the farm bill continue to weigh heavy on the minds of our members and their customers. We also remain concerned about Canada’s continued problematic sales numbers.”