AGRICULTURAL machinery dealerships have not cancelled end-of-financial-year (EOFY) sales, despite some dealers feeling the heat from customers over-delayed tractor deliveries.
While getting hold of a new, big horsepower, four-wheel-drive seeding or tillage tractor before temporary full expensing taxation arrangements end on June 30 might be mission impossible, there are plenty of options for farmers seeking smaller equipment.
Some local dealerships, particularly second-tier dealers specialising in European-sourced machinery, have a range of tractors - including mid-horsepower machines to suit general purpose, yard duties or front-end-loader/bale fork applications - plus a range of implements already in stock sitting in their yards and ready to be delivered on-farm before June 30.
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Special EOFY deals, or regular offers timed for the end of the financial year, to entice potential customers to consider buying now so they can claim uncapped full depreciation against farm income this financial year - before that taxation arrangement ends - include cheaper finance interest rates and, with one specific tractor range, a free slasher.
While the wait for big machines has stretched beyond 12 months and out to two years in some instances, manufacturers of smaller equipment seem to have been able to recover more quickly from long-COVID component shortages and workforce disruptions and adapt more adroitly to reduced shipping services to Australia.
As well, during the past two years, there has not been the unprecedented demand for mid-horsepower tractors and mid-sized implements that their bigger brothers have experienced.
Manufacturers, particularly European-based, were better able to keep pace with mid-horsepower and mid-sized equipment orders, with waiting lists generally of six months or less.
So, local dealers who ordered from them last year have stock in the yard to sell this year.
This was borne out in statistics in the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia's The State of the Industry 2022 Tractor and Machinery Report, which was released in April.
It showed strong growth nationally in tractors and agricultural machinery continued into last year from 2021, with estimated total sales of $5.6 billion - up nine per cent.
Tractors continued to be the most valuable market segment, with new national sales worth an estimated $2.1b last year.
Combine harvesters and headers were the next most valuable segment, with sales up 10pc and worth $1b.
While separate data is not reported for self-propelled sprayers, the "industry feeling" is the self-propelled sprayer market saw growth in both units and value last year - with sales worth an estimated $690 million, the report said.
National sales of tillage and seeding equipment also continued to grow, topping $460m last year.
But sales of balers, hay tools and windrowers declined further and, at an estimated $220m for the year, fell a long way behind the 2020 record.
According to the report, "lifestyle tractors under 60hp (45 kiloWatts) led tractor sales" in volume last year, while tractors with more than 200 horsepower (150+kW) led by sales value.
Bigger harvesters also increased in popularity, with class nine and 10 harvesters comprising 34pc of the total sold.
In Western Australia, the report's statistics showed little or no growth in the 45-75kW and 75-150kW tractor segments last year, or the previous year, but significant growth both years in the 0-45kW and also the 150+kW tractor segments.
Across the Great Southern, 455 tractors were sold - a 15pc increase on 2021 - generating $148m, which was up 30pc on 2021.
In the Peel and South West regions, 422 tractors were sold - up 4pc - for $32m, a 7pc increase, while in the Perth and surrounds region, 333 tractors were sold - up 2pc - for $20m, a 14pc increase.
This compared with 307 tractors sold - up 8pc - in the Wheatbelt for $96m, which was a 6pc increase and 181 tractors - up 1pc - sold in the pastoral region of the State for $48m, which was an increase of 1pc.
Sales value percentage increases larger than percentage increases in tractor numbers sold in each region in part reflect price increases for some tractors delivered last year.
WA regional centres with dealerships reporting growth in tractor and agricultural machinery sales above 20pc last year included Wongan Hills, Narrogin, Merredin, Quairading, Wagin and Esperance.
Fred Hopkins WA, in Welshpool Road, Welshpool, a tractor, agricultural machinery and small engine dealership since 1951, is fairly typical of many second-tier dealerships that have a selection of stock, including mid-horsepower tractors, ready for delivery before temporary full expensing ends.
Its main tractor line is the Deutz-Fahr range and Fred Hopkins has offered a special deal, enabled by Deutz-Fahr importer PFG Australia, of a three-point-linkage general purpose slasher with cutting width of 1780 millimetres, free with any Deutz-Fahr 4E cab series tractor purchased.
The 4E cab series tractors have three cylinder (46 kiloWatt) and four cylinder (59kW and 70kW) turbocharged diesel engines, synchronised forward-reverse shuttle transmission, four-wheel wet disc brakes, 40kmh road speed and climate-controlled airconditioned cab.
Deborah Johnson, who runs Fred Hopkins WA with husband Gary (he was out delivering a new tractor last week when Farm Weekly called in), confirmed they have tractors in a range of horsepowers and to suit different applications, in stock that can be delivered before June 30.
"To be honest, (mid-horsepower) tractors haven't been moving much for a little while - we are hoping for a flurry of enquiry (before the end of the financial year)," Ms Johnson said.
"I think people are waiting for some rain, they want to see what is going to happen this season, they want some rain to build their confidence before they order new machinery.
"During COVID and just after COVID, we probably had the most successful sales - both tractors and implements - because of a fear that we might not be able to get anything again (with manufacturing plants in Europe and North America shut down because of COVID and global shipping very much reduced).
"It was one of the reasons we ordered up on stock too, because we knew there would be delays in getting it.
"But once we got it, we could sell it because there would be demand and it has all come in now.
"We still do have supply issues - not so much with tractors, but certainly with some of the implements.
"We have been waiting five months on some lines.
"Engines are still a bit tricky too.
"But fortunately, we've been able to keep our stock of engines rolling through (Fred Hopkins WA offers a range of respected small engine brands and is a major supplier of Kohler engines with a manufacturer's 'Expert' rating for Kolner petrol and diesel engines).
"There's a wait with diesel engines and some horsepower sizes and on anything that is a special specification.
"With seeding still going in many areas "emergency parts replacement" rather than new equipment sales have been keeping staff busy, with delivery trucks and farmers or couriers coming and going every day."
Ms Johnson said she expected that to change this month as the end of the financial year approached.
