Tractor and Combine Equipment Sales Strong in September

MILWAUKEE, WI – Uncertainty in agriculture has been widely reported over the past few months, but according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), September was a fairly solid month overall for retail sales of tractors and combines in the United States and Canada. Total farm tractor sales in the U.S. increased by nearly 19 percent during the month compared to last year, while combine sales increased more than 12 percent. Year to date, total tractor sales are up nearly 5 percent, while sales of combines are 2 percent higher. Two-wheel-drive tractor sales increased 19 percent compared to a year ago. Tractors under 40 horsepower were up 18 percent; 40 to 100 horsepower tractors increased slightly over 21 percent, and; tractors with more than 100 horsepower were up more than 19 percent. “The numbers continue to remain solid, both in the U.S. and Canada, and are fueled by the replacement market,” said Curt Blades, AEM senior vice president of Ag Services. “However, we continue to hear from our members’ real concerns about the overall ag economy,” he explained, especially as “we remain hopeful that ratification of the USMCA will help alleviate some of the uncertainty surrounding the ag market.”