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TAMA president Jaiden Drought says the tractor market remains a little soft, despite a significant increase in rural confidence.
With June ending and following the most upbeat National Fieldays for several years, tractor dealers are reporting a lift in sales.
The Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) is reporting that tractor sales, often the barometer of how agribusiness is feeling, having increased in the January to June period by 7.5% across the country, compared to the same period in 2024.
Total sales reached 1252 units overall, with the North Island up around 8.1% at 811 units year to date and the South Island climbing by 5.8% to 441 tractors. Of the overall total tractors sold, 0 to 40hp made up 20% of the market, 40 to 100hp achieved 23.5%, 100 to 150hp was the key sector with a 39% share, 150 to 200hp came in at 11.5% and over 200hp recorded just 6% of sales YTD.
TAMA president Jaiden Drought says the market remains a little soft, despite a significant increase in rural confidence.
"Fieldays was positive for most exhibitors, with reports of plenty of lead generation, although at this stage, those enquiries haven't flowed throught to significant increases in sales volumes.
"There still appears to be a cautionary approach, but my gut feeling is that the period from October to May 2026 is going to be strrong."
In the UK, during the first half of the year, farmers registered 4,869 tractors, 17% fewer than in January to June 2024, about 25% below average, and the lowest level recorded at this point in the year, since 1998.
The news coincides with the National Farmers Union (NFU) commenting that any further agricultural concessions would cripple an already hard-pressed farming and growing sector, which it claims "had done its bit" on trade with the US.
The commentary comes amidst serious concerns that the US is likely to demand even greater access to the UK agricultural market, in return for reducing or removing the additional 10% tariffs applied by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: "It's understandable that the UK government wants to eliminate the 10% tariffs on all goods going to the US, but we have to ask - at what cost?
"The US has made it clear they want greater access to our market for their agricultural produce, and it's not afraid to throw its weight around to get what it wants.
"The UK agriculture sector has already done its bit, paying with access to our beef and ethanol markets to reduce tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel. We have nothing more to give."
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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