Putting more pressure on the availability of product for our local market, sales of tractors and self-propelled combines in August 2020 increased for the fifth month in a row in the US, and stayed above the previous year for the third consecutive month in Canada. This positive trend in the US took tractor sales up by 12.8% in August when compared to 2019. Total tractor sales are up 14% in 2020 to 194,495, while combines are now up 3.6% to 3,140 when compared to the same time last year.
For Canada, August tractor sales grew across the smaller-unit segments, leading to an overall gain in tractor sales of 22% to 2005 units. That grows the 12 month unit sales gain to 6.9%, for 16,370 tractors. While, combines showed a monthly sales growth of 129, a 35.8% increase and year to date sales of 826 units.
Industry pundits were not surprised to see growth in combines pick up, with USDA predictions of larger harvest volume this year. Overall, farm machinery sales remain above the 5-year average in the US and Canada.
