Eima: the fall in agricultural incomes is holding back investment in technology
FederUnacoma: rising production costs are also affecting the tractor market. Sales have fallen by 5.4 per cent in Italy and by 13 per cent in the US. President Maschio: sales will pick up again
Key points
The surge in production costs is causing a significant erosion of farm incomes. And with incomes falling, the conditions needed to encourage investment in agricultural machinery and technology are lacking. It is against this complex economic backdrop that the 2026 edition of Eima, the trade fair for agricultural machinery and technology organised by FederUnacoma (the association of Italian manufacturers), opens today in Bologna.
Sharp fall in incomes in Europe and the US
“Agricultural producers,” explained the president of FederUnacoma, Mariateresa Maschio, “receive a very small share of the price paid by consumers. In the United States, farms receive less than 12 cents for every dollar of food produced, a figure that falls to 6.7 cents after costs. In Europe, producers receive around a quarter of the added value generated by the agri-food supply chain. This share is at risk of falling further due to rising costs.”
And as incomes fall, investment is also slowing
These difficulties are having an impact on the machinery market. The figures updated to October – compiled by FederUnacoma based on registration data provided by the Ministry of Transport – show a 5.4 per cent fall in tractor sales, a 9 per cent fall in transporter sales and a 7.3 per cent fall in trailer sales. Only combine harvesters remain in positive territory (+10.4 per cent, with 245 machines sold).
Both the domestic and international markets are in decline. In the United States, tractor sales fell by 13 per cent between January and September. In Canada, sales were down by 9 per cent. The situation was even worse in Latin America, with a 19 per cent decline in Brazil and a 27 per cent fall in Argentina. Sales in Europe were less severe but still in negative territory: down 6 per cent in Germany, 3.3 per cent in France, 4.6 per cent in Spain and 18.8 per cent in Poland.
A contraction in the market is causing a slowdown in domestic production, which, according to FederUnacoma’s estimates, is set to see a 4.7 per cent fall in the value of tractor production in 2026 (to 1.8 billion euros).
