Agricultural machinery: a positive first quarter
Registration data on the January-March 2017 period disclose substantial increases for all types of machinery. Tractors rose overall by 13.8% with percentages well over the national average in some of the important regions, including Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont and the Veneto. The combined effect of European Union RDP and INAIL financing could well keep the market moving as the year progresses.
For the Italian agricultural machinery market the current year got off to a positive start. The data based on registrations reported by the Ministry for Transport and elaborated by FederUnacoma, the Federation of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, feature an increase in sales in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2016 for all machines requiring license plates, mainly tractors, combine harvesters, transporters and agricultural telescopic handlers.
Tractors climbed 13.8% on the strength of 4,438 units registered against 3,900 the previous year, transporters gained 5.3% with 179 units sold compared to 170 in the first quarter of 2016 and trailers gained by 10.6% thanks to 2,108 registered over 1,906 last year. Also telescopic handlers grew 5.2% to 162 units against 154 during last year’s first quarter. Combine harvesters showed a 38.1% surge in sales though the numbers were still low, 29 units sold compared to 21 in the same quarter in 2016.
Increases in registrations around the country were led by good performances in the regions ranked as the major markets in the sector. Tractors sold moved up by 14.4% in Emilia Romagna, 22.5% in Lombardy, 24.7% in Piedmont, 18.7% in Lazio and soared by 73.8% in the Veneto and 50.3% in Campania. Among the regions on the negative side of tractor sales, Sicily stood out with a 59.7% downturn with only 239 units moved compared to 593 in the first quarter of 2016, a drop which can be at least partially assigned to an adjustment following consistent increases over recent years.
The FederUnacoma view of these developments is that to be able to refer to recovery for the sector, the data on the first quarter will have to be confirmed during the current year and EU Rural Development Plan financial incentives coming up to regime along with financing managed by INAIL, the National Institute for Accidents at Work Insurance, for the acquisition of agricultural machinery with strong safety requirements and support instruments planned by some regional administrations, it is feasible for the positive sales trend to continue in the coming months.
Rome, April 21, 2017