Recent statistics released by the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation (FederUnacoma) has shown the damage that Coronavirus has had on its machinery market.
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Photo – Antonio Ciufo / Alamy Stock Photo
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For the month of March, tractor sales dropped a whopping 34.4 per cent, a figure that the FederUnacoma believes could continue into the second half of the year.
Combine harvesters also copped a hit, dropping 12.5 per cent, as did tractors with load platforms down 21.1 per cent, trailers down 39.3 per cent and agricultural telehandlers down 10.5 per cent.
Machinery production also slowed due to the outbreak with the likes of Argo tractors closing its production facilities last month to comply with the Italian government’s push to reduce the spread of the virus.
“Even in with the reopening of industrial sites, the volumes produced will be significantly reduced, due to the need to comply with the safety and prevention rules within the plants,” FederUnacoma says. “Consequently, the market will also have lower quantities of machinery, in a setting that will, in any case, see a lower spending capacity by farms due to the unfortunate situation.
“The forecasts for the second quarter, therefore, indicate a continuation of the negative phase, hoping that the arrival of summer and the attenuation of the emergency may encourage a more robust recovery of activities in the sector,” FederUnacoma adds.
Italy has been one of the hardest-hit nations of the Coronavirus pandemic, with more than 25,000 deaths.