U.S. total farm tractor sales fell 21.1% for the month of March compared to 2021, while U.S. self-propelled combine sales for the month dropped 10.2% to 343 units sold. The 100-plus-horsepower two-wheel-drive segment was the lone growth sector in the U.S. market, up 7%, while midrange tractors between 40 and 100 horsepower fell 14.1%, and the sub-40-hp segment led losses, down 25.5%. Four-wheel-drive tractors were nearly flat for the second month in a row, dipping down just 2%, or four fewer units sold for the month. Total farm tractor sales are now down 7.9% year to date, while combines are down 19.2% for the same.

In Canada, unit sales fell in all segments for a 5.1% decline in total farm tractor sales, led by four-wheel-drive units, down 43.3%; however, total two-wheel-drive unit sales were down in every segment but down only 3.7% overall. Combine harvesters were down as well in Canada, falling 36.8% to 60 units sold. Year-to-date farm tractor unit sales are down a slight 0.7% in Canada, while harvesters are down 36.2%.

“This is a sales report we expected,” said Curt Blades, senior vice president, industry sectors and product leadership at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. “Inventory levels are down more than 10 percent in both the U.S. and Canada, and this is the result of supply chain difficulties catching up with this segment of the manufacturing industry.”

The full reports can be found in the market data section of the AEM website under ag tractor and combine reports. 

U.S. reports can be found here.  

Canadian reports can be found here.  

AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the U.S. supports 2.8 million jobs and contributes roughly $288 billion to the economy every year.

—From an Association of Equipment Manufacturers news release