EIMA International 2026 opened yesterday in Bologna, Italy, against a difficult backdrop for the global agricultural machinery sector, with tractor sales declining in several major markets despite continued long-term demand for mechanisation.
Speaking at the pre-expo press conference on 9 November, FederUnacoma President Mariateresa Maschio said forecasts still pointed to growth in agricultural machinery demand over the coming years, but current market conditions remained challenging.
“Despite rising and increasingly diversified potential demand, the agricultural machinery market is currently experiencing a critical phase,” she said.
Maschio said economic conditions, climate pressures, and geopolitical tensions were weighing on machinery markets, while rising energy, fertiliser, and other production costs were putting additional pressure on farmers.
“Declining production, combined with rising costs, is resulting in lower farm incomes, which objectively limits farmers’ ability to invest in new technologies,” she explained.
The pressure is also being felt by machinery manufacturers, which are dealing with higher industrial costs at the same time that their customers’ spending power is weakening.
“Machinery manufacturers are facing rising production costs and consequently higher list prices precisely at a time when agricultural businesses are experiencing a significant reduction in spending capacity,” Maschio said.
The downturn is evident across several major tractor markets. According to FederUnacoma’s presentation, tractor sales in the US fell 13% between January and September 2026, while Canada recorded a 10% decline over the same period. In Brazil, sales were down 19% between January and July, Argentina recorded a 27% decline between January and June, and Australia saw an 11% decrease between January and September.
Across Europe, tractor sales also weakened during the first nine months of the year compared with the same period in 2025. Sales fell 6% in Germany, 3,3% in France, 4,6% in Spain, and 18,8% in Poland.
The market in Italy has also weakened. Tractor registrations declined 5,4% in the first 10 months of the year to 13 592 units. Total turnover in the Italian agricultural machinery industry in 2026 is expected to decline 4,3% to about €13,7 billion, while agricultural machinery exports are forecast to fall 5,1% to €4,1 billion.
Meanwhile, China and India continue to show growth. India is expected to exceed one million tractor registrations in 2026, supported by strong demand for low- and medium-horsepower machines and government-backed agricultural development programmes.
Against this backdrop, FederUnacoma Director-General Simona Rapastella said technological innovation remained central to EIMA and to the machinery sector’s response to agricultural challenges.
She said agricultural machinery played a central role in improving productivity, strengthening food security, and addressing environmental challenges, with EIMA International intended to showcase the sector’s technological capacity.
Rapastella also highlighted advances in digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, sensors, electrification, and robotics.
EIMA International 2026 brings together 1 800 exhibitors, including 690 foreign companies from 45 countries, with about 60 000 machinery and equipment models on display across 14 product sectors and seven specialised showcases. The event runs from 10 to 14 November.
