North American farm equipment see sales decline

Low commodity prices have cratered farm equipment sales in Canada with double-digit declines in units sold.

Sales of two-wheel drive tractors to Oct. 31 declined 18 per cent to 18,414 units, according to the Association of Farm Equipment Manufacturers.

October sales fell 16.4 per cent to 3,174 units.

Within the two-wheel drive sector under 40 horsepower sales are down 18 per cent to 11,417; 40 to 100 HP sales are down 22.3 per cent to 4,054 units; and 100 plus HP sales fell only 11.1 per cent to 2,954.

Sales of four-wheel drive tractor units are up by 12.9 per cent to 957.

Tractor sales in the U.S. are down 13.6 per cent this year with only four-wheel drives positive at 1.3 per cent for 3,855 units.

Canadian combine sales reflect the same trend. Self-propelled combine sales fell 11.3 per cent to 1,633 units.

October combine sales were down 26.9 per cent to 294 units.

U.S. combine sales in October declined by 34.6 per cent to 526 units with year-to-date sales off 23.1 per cent to 4,977 units.