Big farm equipment sales track above average

Sep 27, 2022

Sales of new combines and two- and four-wheel drive tractors in Canada have tracked above the five-year average so far this year, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

Canadian sales in these three categories trailed last year’s month-over-month numbers, until August when the number of units sold climbed above the number of machines sold last August.

“The Canadian numbers are a positive sign across the board, year over year. For the month of August, we saw some nice growth in all categories, especially some strength in the percentage of growth of self-propelled combines and articulated four-wheel drive tractors,” said Curt Blades from AEM.

“It’s largely attributed to, I think, some optimism and perhaps some strength in the overall farm economy.”

In Canada, overall sales in tractors were up 7.2 percent in August, gaining in all segments, including four-wheel drive tractors with 64 tractors sold, up 326.7 percent compared to August 2021.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

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On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?