A slower than expected start to 2025 for agricultural machinery sales goes against hopes of early improvement, the Tractor and Machinery Association says
The new year has begun in subdued fashion for tractor sales, with around 550 units sold nationwide in January.
This is around 15 per cent below the same month last year and goes against what was a hope for improvement in sales.
Dealers have been reporting that order enquiry has been solid, but with extreme weather conditions being felt in various parts of the country it is perhaps no surprise that deliveries were down.
Expectations of a flattening out of sales remain as the industry tries to not place too much emphasis on one month’s numbers.
Looking at the state-by-state picture, all states were down for the month except for Queensland and Tasmania.
Queensland was 3 per cent ahead of January 2024’s sales, while Tasmania was up by 25 per cent.
New South Wales was 10 per cent behind for the month while Victoria reported a massive drop of 35 per cent.
Sales in Western Australia were off 25 per cent against the same month last year.
South Australia had another decline of 16 per cent, with sales in the Northern Territory finishing 13 per cent down compared to last January.
Sales in each of the reporting categories were off this month except for the small, under 40hp (under 30kw) category which was up 11 per cent.
The 40hp to 100hp (30-75kw) range was down by 2 per cent, while the 100hp to 200hp (75-150 kw) category reported a drop of 33 per cent.
Finally, the 200hp plus (150kw plus) range was 42 per cent down compared to the same month last year.
It wasn’t just tractors that did it tough.
Sales of combine harvesters have begun the year slowly, ending 35 per cent behind last January.
With less than 700 combines sold last year, the industry is certainly hoping for a better year in 2025.
Baler sales were well down in the month and finished 57 per cent behind January 2024’s figures.
Finally, sales of out-front mowers were also down 30 per cent compared to the same month last year.
Planning for the 2025 TMA conference, which will be held at the Hyatt Essendon Fields in Melbourne on Thursday July 24, is under way.
The TMA has released its sponsorship prospectus, which gives interested companies a great chance to get involved.
For more details about the conference, visit www.tma.asn.au or follow the association on Facebook and LinkedIn.
