Mixed results for machinery sales as balers post strong gains

Australia's tractor market has continued its multi-year decline, with year-to-date sales down 11 per cent and rolling 12-month sales to the end of June down seven per cent, according to data presented by agricultural research company, Kynetec, at the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia (TMA) annual conference in July 2026.

Kynetec’s Melinda Truscott said the sector was still adjusting to a period of uncertainty brought on by elevated interest rates, fuel prices and fertiliser costs, following a sharp buying cycle during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are sitting at a similar market year to 2007,” Truscott told delegates, noting that while the rolling 12-month result was the lowest in a decade, it was not the lowest on record once the pandemic-era peak was removed from the comparison.

Across categories, tractors above 60 horsepower accounted for the bulk of the rolling 12-month decline, while sales of tractors under 60 horsepower fell by a comparatively modest five per cent. June, typically the strongest month for tractor sales, recorded the largest year-on-year reduction of the period.

State-level trends also varied. Western Australia, where larger machines make up a greater share of sales, avoided the sharp pandemic-era peak seen in the eastern states and has tracked a comparatively stable trend as a result.

Combine harvester sales fell 14 per cent in the 12 months to the end of June, though Class 10 combines were up 31 per cent over the same period.

Baler sales rose 21 per cent year-to-date and 31 per cent on a rolling 12-month basis, driven largely by round balers. Overall, Victorian baler sales increased by 58 per cent year-on-year, while South Australia recorded a 79 per cent increase and New South Wales a 41 per cent increase.

Self-propelled sprayer sales fell 31 per cent year-to-date. Because reporting on this category, introduced last year, does not capture the full market, Kynetec reports sprayer results as a share of total sales rather than by volume. Machines with a tank capacity of 6,000 litres or more made up 56 per cent of sprayers sold this year, down from 80 per cent in 2025.

Truscott said seasonal conditions were more favourable than at the same point last year, with improved soil moisture supporting winter crop hectares in average-or-better condition for the first time since 2003, though the outlook for the remainder of the season remains mixed.

On farm finances, Truscott noted agricultural debt has risen 129 per cent since Kynetec began tracking the data, though the rate of growth has slowed.

Finally, a dealer survey from April 2026 found around half of respondents planned to leave planting intentions unchanged for the coming season, with most dealers expecting new machine sales to decrease further and little change in used sales, parts inventory or staffing.