North American sales of some tractors have increased while total farm tractors saw a small decline from the same time last year, according to monthly data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
U.S. sales of four-wheel-drive tractors rose 24.1% last month compared to April 2023, according to AEM. Year-to-date sales also increased 1.9%.
Unit sales of two-wheel-drive tractors with 100 horsepower or more increased 7.2% year-over-year in April. These sales were also up in March and February from 2023 levels by 3.2% and 2.7% respectively. Year-to-date sales, however, dropped 0.5%.
There was a dip in sales from 2023 for tractors with less than 100 horsepower. Sales for tractors with less than 40 horsepower in April dropped 5.4% compared to 2023, and declined 12.9% year-to-date.
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Total farm tractor sales dropped by 3.5% from last April and by 10% year-to-date from 75,519 to 67,957.
“The modest growth in agriculture 4-Wheel-Drive tractor sales in April 2024 is an indicator of resilience in the overall ag industry,” Curt Blades, AEM senior vice president, said in a release. “The smaller horsepower market continues to be a challenge, but we remain optimistic for the long-term strength of the ag equipment market.”
Combine sales in the U.S. rose in April by 6.7% compared to 2023. Canadian combine sales also dramatically increased last month by 73.5%, and are up 17.7% year-to-date. Fpur-wheel-drive tractor sales in Canada grew 7.2% year-over-year and 9.2% year-to-date.
