Harvest heats up sale of agricultural machines
Valor Econômico
It has been a while since the market of agricultural machinery in Brazil has presented such a positive result. Last month, 6.6 thousand units, between tractors and harvesters, were sold, the largest monthly volume since 2007, according to the statistics of the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea). The good perspectives of income generated by a record grain harvest, the resumption of the demand for tractors by the sugarcane plants and the maintenance of the market created by the family farming programs explain the performance of the sales in the sector.
The result of March represents a 24.5% growth compared to the 5.3 thousand units sold in February. Compared to the same period of 2009, the result of last month means a 61% increase over the 4.1 thousand machines sold at the time. Still in the first quarter of the year, the domestic sales totaled 16.5 thousand units, growth of 51.9% compared to the first three months of 2009.
And it is the sale of tractors that drive the recovery of the market of machines. In March, 5.49 thousand units were sold between wheel and caterpillar tractors. The result exceeds the sales registered in February this year by 26.5% and the performance of March 2009, when 3.46 thousand tractors were sold in Brazil by 58.7%. With that, the first quarter of the year is closed with the sale of the 13,427 tractors, a 52.5% increase compared to the same period of last year.
In the market of tractors, the sugar and alcohol segment has been standing out with the recovery of most plants, after the worst part of the global financial crisis has past. According to Milton Rego, Vice President of the Anfavea, the sugarcane is the culture in which the use of tractors is the most intense compared to any other agricultural activity. Such resumption was felt even in the ranking of the companies. In the first quarter of last year, for instance, Valtra, which traditionally supplies the sugarcane plants with tractors, had 22.6% of the market of tractors and was in third place in the ranking. In the first three months of this year the company climbed up a position and stayed with 25.6% of the market.
The leadership in the sale of tractors remains with Massey Ferguson, which withheld, in the first quarter of this year, the participation it was in the same period 2009, 31.2%. As for New Holland, which ranked second with 24.1%, it lost a position in the first three months of this year and it now has 21.5%.