Agricultural machinery in Italy: domestic market and exports weigh on production
The decline in sales recorded during the summer and in October has reversed the upward trend seen at the beginning of the year, pushing the market into negative territory over the first ten months. Domestic market performance and the expected contraction in exports are affecting manufacturers' turnover, which is forecast to fall by 4.3% in 2026 compared with 2025. Potential demand for agricultural machinery remains high, but investment support is needed.
After a positive start to the year, which had confirmed the growth trend recorded in 2025 thanks in part to public incentive schemes, the Italian agricultural machinery market experienced a reversal in late spring and throughout the summer, with the downturn continuing into September and October. This was the picture outlined by FederUnacoma President Mariateresa Maschio during a press conference held this afternoon on the eve of EIMA International (Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 November). “The decline in agricultural incomes, caused by the difficult economic climate and exacerbated by last summer’s extreme weather conditions, has weakened farmers’ investment capacity, affecting market performance,” explained the FederUnacoma President. Figures updated to October, compiled by FederUnacoma on the basis of registration data provided by the Ministry of Transport, confirm a decline in sales across the main machinery categories. Tractor sales fell by 5.4% to 13,592 units, transporters by 9% to 618 units, and trailers by 7.3% to 6,252 registrations. Only combine harvesters (+10.4%, with 245 units sold) and telehandlers (+4.9%, with 1,017 units) remained in positive territory. Both categories, however, lost momentum, retaining only part of the gains achieved earlier in the year. The downturn in the domestic market is inevitably affecting national production. According to FederUnacoma forecasts, the value of tractor production is expected to fall by 4.7% in 2026 to €1.8 billion. Agricultural equipment, self-propelled machinery and other machines are forecast to decline by 7.1% to €6.2 billion, while spare parts and incomplete tractors are expected to record a 1.6% decrease, bringing their value to €1.2 billion. Taking into account the components sector, which is expected to grow by 0.8% to €3.6 billion, and gardening and grounds maintenance machinery, forecast to decline by 6.1% to €920 million, the total production value of the Italian agricultural machinery industry is expected to fall by 4.3% in 2026, to €13.7 billion. As highlighted during the press conference, the decline in turnover is attributable not only to slowing sales in the domestic market but also to falling exports. In 2026, exports are forecast to decline to €1.3 billion for tractors (−3.4%) and to €4.1 billion for agricultural machinery (−5.1%), a category that includes equipment and self-propelled machines. “The Italian agricultural machinery industry is facing a challenging economic environment. Nevertheless, potential demand for machinery is expected to remain high, as the agricultural sector must address major challenges in terms of productivity, sustainability, quality and safety, all of which require the use of technologically advanced machinery,” added Mariateresa Maschio. “In this context, investment incentives, such as the recently renewed Industry 4.0 tax incentives, are of strategic importance, as they help strengthen agricultural businesses’ investment capacity and support improvements in production systems,” concluded the FederUnacoma President.
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Agricultural machinery in Italy: domestic market and exports weigh on production