North American ag tractor, combine sales fall for second consecutive month

Ag tractor and combine unit sales in April 2022 declined for the second month in a row, owing largely to supply chain difficulties, according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

U.S. total farm tractor sales fell 22.3% for the month of April compared to 2021, while U.S. self-propelled combine sales for the month declined 5.6% to 459 units sold. The 100+ horsepower 2WD segment was the only growth sector in the U.S. market for the second month in a row, up 3.2%, while mid-range tractors between 40 and 100 horsepower fell 19.5%, and the sub-40hp segment led losses, down 25%. 4WD tractors took a similar drop as their 2WD cousins, down 21.1%. Total farm tractor sales are now down 13.7% year-to-date, while combines are down 14.5% for the same.

In Canada, unit sales fell in all segments again for a 19% decline in total farm tractor sales, led by 4WD units once more, down 49.3%. Total 2WD unit sales were down in every segment, leading to an overall 17.3% year-on-year unit sales loss. Combine harvesters were down as well in Canada, falling 14.1%  to 110 units sold. Year-to-date farm tractor unit sales are down a 7.7% in Canada, while harvesters are down 28%.

“Supply chain remains the number one difficulty our member manufacturers are facing,” said Curt Blades, senior vice president, industry sectors & product leadership at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. “At the same time, we’re comparing to record numbers from 2021, and while these numbers may look disappointing, they remain above the 5-year average.”

The full reports can be found in the Market Data section of the AEM website under Ag Tractor and Combine Reports.

• U.S.: https://www.aem.org/market-data/statistics/us-ag-tractor-and-combine-reports/

• Canada: https://www.aem.org/market-data/statistics/canadian-ag-tractor-combine-reports/

AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 2.8 million jobs and contributes roughly $288 billion to the economy every year.