Second-hand machinery to the rescue amid global tractor shortage

The past two years have seen a severe global shortage in the supply of new agricultural machinery, and its effects have been felt at every level of the value chain. The reasons for the shortage are varied: COVID-19-related lockdowns, supply chain problems, a shortage of microchips (a problem that has affected many sectors) and weak commodity prices. Combined, they have produced a giant headache for manufacturers, dealers and farmers.

To take just one example, agricultural machinery manufacturer Case IH has been struggling to get a backlog of 1 000 tractors into South Africa, according to Arno du Plessis, head of tactical marketing and portfolio at CNH Industrial for Case IH. “Farmers ordered these machines for the previous planting season and they still haven’t received them,” he explains.