increase font size
German manufacturer Deutz Fahr’s headquarters is based in the Bavarian city of Lauingen.
CEMA, the umbrella group representing European agricultural machinery manufacturers, recently issued a report on the state of the European farm machinery market for the year ending 2021.
Due to anti-competition rules in Europe, such reports – including reports of tractor sales – are always one year in arrears.
Offering a wide range of data, the German agri machinery industry remained the largest exporter of agricultural machinery globally. It sent €13.2 billion (NZ$22.14 billion) of product overseas, easily beating China into second place at only €9 billion ($15.1b) and the United States in third place at €8 billion ($13.42b). It will be interesting to see if Germany managed to maintain these levels in 2022, given the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which dominated and continues to affect the region.
Looking at the broader picture, it is interesting to note that China swapped places with the US during the period. This is likely a reflection of Chinese strength in component manufacturing, a sector that is also included in the final tallies. It is also likely that the Chinese result will be significantly lower in 2022 following the extended “lockdowns” brought about by its tough stance in addressing Covid-19.
The US did lead the way in one area, spending €11.5 billion ($19.3b) on machinery imports from offshore. It was followed by France at €5.7 billion ($9.56b) and Germany, not too far behind at €5 billion ($8.39b).
CEMA also noted that Australia and New Zealand were increasingly important markets for European manufacturers, their opposite growing seasons allowing manufacturers to keep production lines running all year round. The organisation noted that Australia imported around €2.4 billion ($3.35b) of ag machinery in 2021.
CEMA also observed that while China is typically lauded as having untapped potential for companies looking to sell farm machinery, it doesn’t make the top 20 for importing foreign manufactured machinery. It comes in below Turkey, which takes only €0.7 billion ($1.17b) worth of imported machinery.
Overall, the largest European buyer of agricultural machinery in 2021 was France with a trade worth €7 billion ($11.75b). Germany followed at €6.9 billion ($11.58b). This is obviously reflected in the fact that the former has around 286,000 square kilometres devoted to crops.
A breakdown of European sales by product family shows tractors made up 22% of the total market, closely followed by parts at 18%, tillage and fertiliser spreaders at 12%, harvesting equipment 11% and grass machinery at 7%.
The report also shows robot sales in agriculture are growing: with the march of digitisation, 19,000 robots were sold in 2022, up 4,000 on the previous year and forecast to reach 22,000 units sold in 2023.
Having already hit the headlines for recycling broken 2.4 metre vineyard posts into 1.8 and 1.6 metre, half and quarter posts for agriculture, Repost recently hit the milestone of one million posts recycled, diverting the CCA treated posts from landfill.
New Zealand-based company Robotics Plus, a specialist in agricultural automation, has announced an agreement for it to be acquired by Yamaha Motor to form Yamaha Agriculture.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Silage making is both a science and an art, but Claas says it offers onboard technology featured in its Claas Perfect Partners to help farmers make silage more efficiently and effectively.
Since Donald Trump’s import tariff announcement, the world has been on a wild economic ride.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.
