increase font size
2025 brought difficult trading conditions, particularly in the southern states of Australia which suffered again with persistent droughts.
The recently published State of the Industry -Tractors and Machinery 2025 from the Australian Tractor and Machinery Association (TMA), the equivalent of New Zealand’s TAMA, gives an interesting perspective of the industry.
Executive director of TMA, Gary Nortover, painted a picture of a landscape defined by sharp contrasts. The headlines showed that for the first time, Australian farm production hit AU$100 billion, but Northover noted that macro successes often masked micro realities on the ground.
Northover suggested that while the national success was a cause for celebration, 2025 brought difficult trading conditions, particularly in the southern states which suffered again with persistent droughts.
Despite the high volumes of agricultural outputs, the tractor and machinery industry he represented wrestled with significant challenges, particularly around machine pricing. This was driven by global supply chain logistics, fluctuating input costs and shifting interest rate environments.
Looking at the overall market, which collectively saw sales push AU$4.6 billion, tractors made up AU$1.7b, combines AU$816m, balers and hay tools AU$224m and self-propelled sprayers achieved AU$426m.
Numbers for sectors such as tillage and seeding tools and other machinery have, as usual, been hard to collate, but best estimates suggest AU$467m for the former and AU$977m for the latter.
Reported new tractor sales sat at a level not seen since before 2020, with a decline compared to 2024 of 7%, which was already 23% down against 2023, which in turn saw a decrease of 25% on 2022.
By the numbers, tractor sales topped out at 9521 units, which represented a drop of 29.9% against the 5-year average. For combine harvesters, a slight fall of 0.4% was recorded against 2024, but a much greater fall of 25% against the 5-year average.
Looking at the regions in more detail, Queensland at 2499 units was down by 2.5% on 2024, New South Wales ended at 2591 units (-7.7%) and Victoria finished at 2055 units (-16%). Tasmania recorded 328 units (-1%), South Australia fell 9% to 686 units, Western Australia bucked the trends by climbing 1.6% to 1256 units and the Northern Territory fared the best with a 9.3% climb to 106 units.
Back to 2026, April sales racked up 700 units, down 10% year on year with 2025, resulting in a year-to-date number sitting 8.5% below 2025. Horsepower groupings for the month saw the under 40hp sector falling 21% YTD, 40-100hp dropping by 7% YTD, the 100-200hp market dropping by 6%, while the 200hp+ group bucking the trend by climbing 2.6% YTD.
On a wider front, mainstream Australian media is continuing to report ongoing concerns about fuel and fertiliser shortages that in turn appear to be leading to reduced plantings, with some reports suggesting that farmers are struggling to undertake day-to-day operations.
The TMA suggests that demand for new tractors and machinery is likely to remain subdued for some time to come. In the meantime, reports of increasingly dry conditions in some areas of New South Wales are likely to compound the negative sentiment.
New tractor deliveries for 2025 jumped 10% compared to the previous year, a reflection of the positive primary sector outlook, according to the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA).
As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.
With agriculture in New Zealand coming out of the doldrums over the last few months and the recent announcement of a 20% tax write-off for capital purchases, it likely that farmers will be spending on tractors.
With annual tractor sales being a barometer for the state of the industry, New Zealand’s machinery importers and distributors, along with their dealerships, will be glad to see the back of 2024.
The recent Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) conference in Wellington was signalling cautious optimism on the back of rising milk and store cattle prices and drops in interest rates.
Mainland Poultry has confirmed new ownership of its vertically integrated agribusiness with Pacific Equity Partners Gateway (PEP Gateway) now joining current shareholders Navis.
The recently published State of the Industry -Tractors and Machinery 2025 from the Australian Tractor and Machinery Association (TMA), the equivalent of New Zealand’s TAMA, gives an interesting perspective of the industry.
Strong competition and tightening supply have seen wool reach its highest prices paid at auction since 2011.
The Government is funding a feasibility study to investigate what would be required for a successful farmer-led purchase of the McCain Foods' vegetable processing site in Hastings.
A young man just five years out of his Lincoln University degree already has his foot in the door of farm ownership, as equity manager of a large new dairy conversion now taking shape in Mid- Canterbury.
Visitors to the LIC stand at this year’s Fieldays can expect practical farm conversations, specialist drop-in sessions and exclusive shareholder events.
OPINION: Reckless action by Greenpeace in 2024 forced Fonterra to shut down a drying plant for four hours, costing the co-op…
OPINION: The global crusade against fossil fuel is gaining momentum in some regions.
