More than 15,500 tractors have been sold so far in 2021 as shipping times for new models appear to more than double.
Sales of agricultural tractors continued their strong run in April with a 19 per cent rise on the same month last year.
The last 12 months have now seen in excess of 15,500 tractors sold in this country which is 38 per cent ahead of the previous 12-month period. The last time sales were anywhere near these levels was back in 1984.
Check out sales data from March here
Some states showed signs of a “flattening of the curve”, with Victoria recording a steady April in line with last year’s result, now sitting 32 per cent ahead for the year to date, meanwhile Queensland was down 5 per cent to be 40 per cent up YTD.
NSW was again the standout in April, up 73 per cent on the same time last year and now 95 per cent for the YTD.
Western Australian sales picked up 20 per cent to be 58 per cent ahead for the year, sales in South Australia reported a 14 per cent decrease for the month and finally Tasmania finished the month 7 per cent ahead.
All performance reporting categories enjoyed rises again this month with the under 40hp (30kw) range up 24 per cent for the month to be 55 per cent ahead YTD.
The 40 to 100hp (30-75kw) range was again up strongly 33 per cent in the month (58 per cent YTD), the 100 to 200hp (75-150kw) category was up 6 per cent, (38 per cent YTD) and the large 200 hp (150kw) plus range had another strong rise up 18 per cent and is now 70 per cent ahead for the year.
The order intake season for Combine Harvesters is now well underway and dealers are reporting strong demand for what is expected to be another great harvest season later this year.
The past 12-month period has seen sales go past the 650-unit mark which is up from 530 for the previous 12 months.
Baler sales dipped for the month but are still up 34 per cent on an annualised basis and sales of Out – Front Mowers were again strong and remain 32 per cent ahead of the same time last year.
The level of demand being seen in the market continues to surprise with many suppliers reporting buyers bringing forward purchasing plans to take advantage of the Federal Government’s financial incentives.
The challenges in meeting this demand are showing no signs of abating however with shipping and port clearance delays having a significant impact on delivery times.
We are receiving reports of a more than doubling of shipping times being compounded by the shortage of containers and the bottlenecks being experienced at Australia’s ports.
As a result, suppliers are having great difficulty guaranteeing delivery times which is hampering confidence in the supply chain.
To compensate for these delays, forward orders are now sitting at levels well above what would be considered normal posing a risk of oversupply in the event of a slowdown in demand.
These challenges are not confined to the Agricultural machinery industry with Construction and Automotive likewise affected.
Ticket Sales have commenced for the TMA’s Annual Conference to be held once again this year in Melbourne at the Hyatt Essendon Fields on Tuesday July 20th.
This year’s event promises to be bigger than ever with speakers confirmed including Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chairman Mick Keogh and Victorian Farmers’ Federation president Emma Germano. We hope you can come along for what promises to be an entertaining and educational day.