News

Tractor sales up again with strong close in March, first quarter

U.S. farm tractor sales are on the rise for the eleventh straight month.  

Curt Blades with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) tells Brownfield the latest numbers point to more than just a resurgence in the farm economy. “I think we’re looking at some real positivity out there and maybe even some new purchases where farmers are looking to upgrade their fleet or simply seeing some optimism for what the future holds for their farming operations,” he said.

Data from the AEM report shows tractors sales saw an 81 percent increase in March compared to 2020.

Blades says sub-40-horsepower tractors had the biggest gain, but sales grew across every area. “Row crop tractors, 4WD tractors and even combines are performing above where they were this time last year,” Blades says.

He says people who bought sub-compact tractors had more disposable income during COVID-19 shutdowns for projects around the home. “We’ve been able to see about 20,000 new units sold to date in that category that we did this time last year,” he said. “But for the ag tractors, that’s been nice as well and I think that’s directly related to the good news we’re seeing in commodity prices the last couple of months.”

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