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Tractor sales in Australia fell last year.
Given that the Australian tractor and machinery market saw meteoric sales in 2021 and 2022, it was always expected that 2023 would be a little tempered.
December followed a pattern of declines seen earlier in the year, with tractor sales for the month at around 1100 units and 35% behind the same month last year, bringing the year-to-date figure to 14,500, a 25% fall over the same period in 2022.
The picture was a little brighter in dollar terms, with sales 13% ahead of the same month last year, but ending the year 14.5% in arrears of 2022, suggesting that the biggest declines had occurred in the smaller size ranges.
Deficits were experienced in all categories, with the only exception being the over 200hp (150kW) range which climbed 117% on the same month last year and finished the year just 6% behind 2023. Much of the activity for larger tractors appears to have occurred in Western Australia, where a late rush to deliver machines by year end played a part in the final tally.
The under 40hp (30kW) category was down 56% for the month of December and is now 30% behind 2022, with industry experts noting that this “leisure” market has always been susceptible to interest rate rises, which had driven the result.
In the 40 to 100hp (30-75kW) sector, the result for the last month of the year was down 45% and finished 28% behind year to date, while the 100 to 200hp (75-150kW) category was down 37%, ending 26% behind YTD.
Around the country, all states experienced significant drops in December, with Queensland, down 33% month-onmonth against 2022 and 23% behind for the year. NSW was down 35% to be 27% off YTD, while Victoria was off 49% and ended 31% behind the last year.
Sales in Western Australia were down 8% and ended 18% behind last year; South Australia was down 15% against the same month last year, 16% behind full year; Tasmania was off 30% for the month, 22% full year; with sales in the NT finishing 19% down for the year.
Sales of combine harvesters finished the year strongly, taking the full year tally to just under 1100 units, down 7% on 2022, while baler sales continued mixed fortunes throughout the year, down 20% on December and finishing the year just two units under last year’s total.
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Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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