According to the analysis, combine harvester sales also showed excellent performance in 2022, increasing by 38% year-on-year (y/y) to 373 units, making it the highest yearly sales figure since 1985.
In 2023, tractor sales declined by 9% to 8 380 units y/y, while combine harvester sales held the prior year’s momentum, increasing by 35% to 505 units.
The South African Agricultural Machinery Association (SAAMA) recently reported that November tractor sales in 2024 declined by about 24% y/y, from 685 units in 2023 to 523 units this year. Year-to-date, the number of tractors sold declined by about 23% compared with the corresponding period, from 7 843 units to 6 021 units.
Combine harvester sales were almost 62% lower y/y at 13 units in November 2024, compared to the 34 units sold last year. Year-to-date, combine harvester sales were almost 60% lower than the corresponding period last year, at 195 units compared with 474 units.
Willie Human, chairperson of SAAMA, said that the drop in agricultural machinery sales was expected, with the market normalising after the high in 2022.
Tractor sales are predicted to amount to roughly 6 400 units, while combine harvester sales are set to reach between 200 and 220 units in 2024.
The high sales of the previous few years were driven by excellent harvests in combination with a backlog of sales caused by COVID-19-related logistical problems.
According to Sihlobo, South Africa’s field crop harvest was excellent in the 2022/23 season, with the maize harvest being the second largest on record at 16,4 million tons, and the soya bean harvest being the largest at 2,8 million tons.
Human expects sales to remain at 2024 levels in 2025. “We have had a difficult start to the current summer planting season because of dry climatic conditions in some areas. This will have a negative impact on yields and has resulted in some farmers having to plant some lands over.”
He said that good rain now might still result in a favourable hay season, which could support tractor sales during the first few months of 2025. But, for the rest of the year, he expected agricultural machinery sales to remain flat.
