Sales of new tractors collapsed by 35.0% in Italy last month, and the numbers of combine harvesters, trailers and telehandlers were down by 12.5%, 40.0% and 10.5% respectively.
The Italian farm machinery market is paying a high price of the Corona virus (Covid-19) emergency, reports FederUnacoma, the Rome-based Italian farm machinery manufacturers federation.
The Corona virus situation resulted in a complete shutdown of all Italian production facilities from mid-March, and it is still not yet known when the Italian government will give the green light for them to reopen.
Even when production does resume, FederUnacoma reckons the need for manufacturers to comply with new safety and distancing rules will result in significantly fewer new tractors and machines.
The 3,777 new tractors registered in Italy during the first three months of this year was down nearly 15.0% on the 4,425 recorded during the same three months one year ago.
The numbers were also down during the first three weeks of April, and the organisation expects Italian farmers and contractors to remain cautious when it comes to investing in new tractors, which will negatively affect Q2 figures.
FederUnacoma is hopeful that the summer could see a recovery of the country’s farm machinery sector in time for the EIMA International farm machinery show in Bologna from November 11 to 15. Even so, the total number of new tractors registered in Italy this year is unlikely to reach 2019 levels of over 18,500 units.
