Farm Machinery Manufacturers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 1,000 farm machinery manufacturers in the US sell agricultural and farm machinery and equipment through dealers and distributors. Product categories include harvesting machinery (combines, balers); commercial turf/grounds care equipment (mowers); planting, seeding, and fertilizing machinery (sprayers, soil prep machinery); related attachments; and parts.
Highly Seasonal Sales
Because farm machinery sales are tied to the agricultural calendar, sales are highly seasonal.
Sales Channel Dependent On Credit
Floor plan financing is a critical element for farm machinery sales.
Industry size & Structure
The average farm machinery manufacturer operates out of a single location, employs 59-60 workers, and generates $38 million annually.
- The farm machinery manufacturing industry consists of over 1,000 companies that employ about 62,260 workers and generate $38 billion annually.
- The industry is highly concentrated; the top 20 companies account for 71% of total industry revenue.
- Large US-based companies include John Deere, AGCO, and Alamo Group. Most large companies have global operations with significant sales from foreign countries.
Industry Forecast
Farm Machinery Manufacturers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Mar 23, 2024 - Wage Hikes Outpaced Price Increases in 2023
- Employment by farm machinery manufacturers contracted by 1.3% in December compared to a year ago after growing 6.7% in the previous annual comparison, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, average wages at agricultural, construction, and mining machinery firms continued to climb to $29.68 per hour in December, a 9.6% year-over-year change and just shy of their peak in November, BLS data show. Producer prices lost some of their steam in 2023 – up 1.35% in December compared to a year ago – after rising steeply in 2021 and 2022.
- Net farm income – a broad measure of farm profitability – is projected to decline this year compared to 2023, according to the latest USDA Farm Sector Income Forecast. In inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars, net farm income is forecast to fall by $43.1 billion (27.1%) from 2023 to 2024, and net cash farm income is forecast to decrease by $42.2 billion (25.8%) compared with the previous year, If realized, both measures in 2024 would fall below their 2003-2022 averages (in inflation-adjusted dollars). Overall, farm cash receipts are forecast to decrease by $21.2 billion (4.2%) from 2023 to $485.5 billion in 2024 in nominal dollars. Direct government farm payments are forecast at $10.2 billion in 2024, a $1.9 billion drop from 2023. Total production expenses are forecast to increase by $16.7 billion from 2023 to $455.1 billion in 2024.
- Only 25% of US farms currently use connected equipment or devices to access data, putting them at a big disadvantage in today’s increasingly connected agricultural sector, according to a recent white paper by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). “Without ubiquitous connectivity, the agriculture industry cannot fully embrace the new tools and technologies that will enable it to meet the productivity and sustainability demands of the future,” AEM writes. Underscoring the importance of connectivity, farm machinery giant Deere is investing billions of dollars to build out computer-assisted services for farmers and recently signed a deal with SpaceX’s Starlink business to connect tractors, seed planters, crop sprayers, and other equipment in areas that lack adequate internet service, The Wall Street Journal reports. The lack of Wi-Fi service is even greater outside the US with over 70% of the acres farmed in Brazil lacking adequate connectivity, per WSJ.
- The recent surge in the value of agricultural land in the Midwest slowed in the third quarter, rising by an average of 5%, the smallest gain in three years, according to the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank’s November AgLetter. Indiana led with a 16% year-over-year (YoY) gain in farmland values; Illinois and Wisconsin posted YoY growth in farmland values of 6% and 9%, respectively, while farmland values in Iowa were stagnant. Overall, ag bankers expect land prices in the Seventh Federal Reserve District (Iowa and most of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin) to hold steady during the fourth quarter. Following two years of record-high farm income, the outlook is lower this year, with corn and soybean prices down by a combined 20%, said David Oppedahl, policy adviser at the Chicago Fed noting that the farm economy is softening “from some of the best years ever.”
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