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SDF's Bandirma manufacturing site in Turkey.
Tractor and machinery manufacturer AGCO has signed a supply agreement with the European-based SDF Group, best known for its SAME, Deutz Fahr and Lamborghini tractor brands.
Beginning mid-year 2025, the agreement will offer farmers a streamlined low-mid range horsepower tractor portfolio up to 85hp, for AGCO’s leading Massey Ferguson brand in most global markets.
Luis Felli, senior vice president and general manager, Massey Ferguson, said “We are extremely proud to have a partner like SDF who shares our passion for serving the world’s farmers. This partnership will strengthen Massey Ferguson’s position in the low-mid horsepower tractor segment globally, allowing us to provide more farmers with straightforward, dependable and highquality equipment to drive their productivity and maximise profit.”
While details are yet to be confirmed, Rural News understands that the new product range will be offered with various powertrain options to match diverse needs of customers and markets.
AGCO expects the refreshed Massey Ferguson portfolio to help boost market share in the segment of up to 85 horsepower.
While the source of the tractors from within the SDF Group’s multiple manufacturing locations is yet to be confirmed, SDF builds tractors of this size at plants in Turkey (Bandirma) and India (Ranipet). Production capacity at the plant in Ranipet, which SDF acquired in 2013, has been upgraded recently to boost the capacity to in excess of 20,000 units a year, largely in the 40hp to 80hp segment.
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SDF builds tractors of this size at plants in Turkey and India. |
More recently, the Bandirma plant, which assembles tractors from 45 to 130hp, has seen capacity increased to 15,000 units a year, while in 2024, SDF also opened a new 10,000m² factory at this site to produce its three, four and sixcylinder FARMotion engines. We understand that, depending on intended markets, engines will feature engine emission levels of IIIA, IIIB or V.
While the announcement suggests the new tractors will be in addition to the existing Massey ranges or whether the longer plan is to replace some of them for SDF products, some industry sources are suggesting it could be that MF is looking to plug the gap between the current Iseki-built 1700E/M (35 to 67hp) and four-pot 75hp/85hp models in the 3 series, alongside the base 82hp tractor in the three-pot 4700 range.
Of course, one must also remember that there is a somewhat strained relationship with TAFE, the Indian manufacturer, who for many years has built Massey Ferguson tractors under license and is also a major shareholder in AGCO. Currently, the two companies are arguing about the ownership rights of the Massey Ferguson brand.
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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