Agricultural manufacturers have primarily contributed to the growth of farm output. This is through the production of advanced agricultural equipment that reduces the cost of farm inputs like labor.
With the availability of various types of agricultural machinery, much work can be done within a short period of time. This article will enlighten you on the top 10 agriculture machinery manufacturers.
Table of Contents
Demand and market share of agricultural machinery
Types of agricultural machinery
Top 10 agricultural machinery manufacturers
Conclusion
Demand and market share of agricultural machinery
Demand for agricultural machinery is soaring due to the increase in the world’s population. Farmers in continents like Asia are embracing agricultural machinery more than ever to increase efficiency and keep up with the increasing food demand.
Africa is also experiencing a population boom and is seeking to modernize its agricultural equipment by transitioning from manual farming. In 2000, Africa’s population was 800 million in comparison to 1.4 billion in 2022, an increase of 75% in only 20 years.
Such an increase, combined with that of Asia-Pacific, will push up the demand for agricultural machinery much more. In 2021, the value of agricultural machinery worldwide was US $157.89 billion. It’s expected to increase from US $168.3 billion to US $272.6 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%.
Types of agricultural machinery
Mowers
Mowers are predominantly used to cut tall grass before plowing land for farming. This is different from reaping, which also uses similar equipment.
Mowers come in different variants, which include:
- Push-behind mower: Operated by a person by pushing it from behind
- Zero-turn mower: A standard mower with a zero-turn radius when the two drive wheels turn in opposite directions
- Riding mower: Not pushed manually; can be a lawn tractor where the operator is seated
- Pull-behind mower: It’s fixed behind the tractor and pulled to facilitate grass-cutting
- Belly-mounted mower: Usually mounted underneath the tractor in between the four wheels
Cultivators
A cultivator is a mechanical tool for groundbreaking and uprooting weeds. Cultivators come in different types, such as rotary and sharp-tooth tillers, also known as shanks.
The rotary uses discs to till the land, while the sharp teeth are extended metal hooks on a frame that are often pulled from behind.
Cultivators are mostly used for secondary tillage to mix the soil to allow for good crop aeration and, simultaneously, to get rid of weeds. Most cultivators are helpful for weeding when the crops have started growing to reduce or eliminate nutrient competition.
Rakes
Rakes usually feature a set of straight or curved metal spikes on a frame attached to a wooden handle. They are often used by hand to gather hay or grain together into piles.
Heavy-duty rakes are mechanized and come in various forms, such as rotary and star-wheel rakes. Large rakes are suitable for moving larger debris and uprooting shallow-rooted weeds.
Backhoes
Backhoes are multipurpose farm machinery for digging and excavation.
The two sets of equipment are a loader, usually mounted at the front of the vehicle, and the excavator mounted at the back. Other advanced backhoes come with dual backhoes mounted at the rear.
The front loader is used for moving debris and can unload it on a tipper or to a selected point for later collection. At the same time, the backhoe helps dig medium trenches or holes at the farm.
Harrows
A harrow is a cultivating implement with teeth, spikes, or discs that are effective for breaking up large chunks of soil.
Plows are often used before planting to break the ground into small chunks and set it as a loose seedbed conducive for planting.
Disc harrows come in three main types:
- Offset discs: Usually made of high-carbon steel and can penetrate any ground
- Tandem discs: Several discs aligned together in sets
- Speed discs: Often designed to work with a tractor moving relatively faster at 20 km/h
There are other heavy-duty harrows like the heavy-duty hydraulic harrow. It’s mainly transported using tires and features high-quality boron steel discs with a hardness of 48–52 HRC.
Tractors
Tractors are the primary farm implement that facilitates mechanized farming.
A tractor is versatile and performs different tasks on the farm, namely:
- Mowing: The tractor can have a mower mounted underneath it or behind it to cut tall grass in preparation for plowing
- Plowing: The plows can be disks, chisels, or harrows, which can be used for a light form of plowing
- Harrowing: Harrows come in different types; harrowing is often done before planting
- Moving debris and excavation: Backhoes and loaders are usually mounted on tractors for loading and unloading debris as well as excavating
- Weeding: Mounted cultivators on a tractor are suitable for weeding and loosening soil around the plants for adequate aeration
- Transport: Tractors have custom-made trailers which can be mounted behind and come in handy for ferrying goods on the farm
Combine harvester
Combine harvesters have recently been designed to be versatile and capable of harvesting different grain crops.
A combined harvester significantly reduces the workforce by efficiently combining three to four processes simultaneously. These include reaping, threshing, separation, and cleaning.
Seeders and transplanters
Modern seeders and transplanters are electronically controlled to enhance speed and precision. Until recently, these machines were mechanical and used chains or Cardan shafts on one or several wheels.
There was a need to balance between seed transmission and wheeling units. A speed gearbox was handy for varying spaces along the rows.
However, the machines being semi-automated required a lot of maintenance, hence the invention of electric seeders and transplanters. They use a motor that regulates the seeding unit with the help of a high-precision GPS on the tractor to control seeding by maintaining uniform spacing.
Top 10 agricultural machinery manufacturers
Some of the leading agricultural machinery manufacturers have existed for many decades, others over a century. They consistently innovate to increase efficiency in agriculture. Below are some of them.
John Deere
The company originates from the U.S. and specializes in manufacturing agricultural implements. It dates back to 1836, When John Deere, a blacksmith, invented the first steel plow. John Deere started manufacturing tractors in 1918 after purchasing Waterloo Engine Gas Company.
With a presence in about 30 countries worldwide, John Deere is estimated to be worth US $84.1 billion, according to Fortune Global 500.
The organization has three arms of operation, which are:
- Agriculture and turf segment: Manufactures and distributes agricultural machinery, including servicing parts.
- Construction and forestry: Manufactures machinery used in construction, building roads, earthmoving, and timber harvesting.
- Financial services: Finances sales and services of their machinery.
CNH Industrial N.V.
CNH is a British-American multinational company based in Basildon, U.K. It’s primarily controlled by Exor, a multinational investment company owned mainly by the Agnelli Family. The enterprise is registered in the Netherlands and has a principal office in London, England.
CNH manufactures tractors that are two and four-wheel drive, including crawler tractors. They combine grape and cotton pickers, sugarcane harvesters, cultivation, planting, and seeding, and material handling equipment.
The corporation is the second-largest in the world, only second to John Deere. Its subsidiaries include IVECO, Case, Raven, New Holland, FPT, etc. CNH is valued at approximately US $2.7 billion.
AGCO
It’s the third-largest manufacturer and distributor of tractors worldwide, behind John Deere and CNH Industrial. It manufactures and distributes brands such as Valtra, Hesston, Massey Fergusson, Fendt, Gleaner, Challenger, etc.
AGCO was formed in 1990, succeeding Deutz-Allis Corp, which was founded in 1985 when Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG bought the agricultural arm of Allis Chalmers Corp. In Essence, AGCO is a product of Allis Chalmers Corp and is worth US $7.17 billion.
CLAAS Group
The establishment specializes in the manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery. CLAAS Group is based in Harsewinkel, Germany. It was formed in 1913 by August Claas as a family business, and they are leaders in the harvesting technology industry.
CLAAS corporation leads in manufacturing combine harvesters in Europe. The enterprise employs over 11,000 workers, and in 2021 it took in a turnover of US $4.61 billion.
Jiangsu Changfa Group
Changfa Group was established in 2003, and its headquarters are in Wujin District, Changzhou, China. They specialize in making agricultural machinery like tractors, rice planters, and harvesters.
The company has eight divisions and five subsidiaries with over 4,000 employees. It also engages in significant research and development.
YTO Group
The YTO Group is based in China and was started in 1955. They are the leading manufacturers of tractors and agricultural implements in China. YTO Group was the first to produce tractors, cross-country trucks, and road rollers in China.
It has been awarded as China’s top brand. Armed with assembly lines imported from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the U.S., and the U.K., the group’s worth is approximately US $2.7 billion.
Lovol Heavy Industry Co. Ltd
One of the heavy industries in China was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Tianjin. They manufacture agricultural and construction equipment and vehicles. The company is 72nd out of the 500 most-valuable Chinese brands.
Lovol Heavy Industry is worth over US $11 billion and has nearly 3,000 distributors. In April 2022, Lovol won the National Science and Technology Progress Award.
Changzhou Dongfeng Agricultural Machinery Group Co., Ltd.
Dongfeng Agricultural Machinery Group was founded in 1952 in Changzhou, China. It has an asset base of US $518 million and over 1,800 workers. Their products are churned out and marketed as DFAM® for tractors, Townsunny® for farm implements, Dongfeng®, and DF®.
Dongfeng manufactures four-wheeled tractors, push walk tractors, backhoes, loaders, and mowers. The company has more than 2,000 workers worldwide and a revenue of US $309 million. It has a foothold in 105 countries and regions, including Canada, Ukraine, Australia, Bangladesh, and Europe.
SDF Group
SDF is one of the leading manufacturers of tractors, diesel engines, and combine harvesters. Its products are marketed under brands such as SAME, Lamborghini Trattori, Deutz-Fahr, Gregoire, and Hurlimann.
The company’s revenue in 2021 was US $1.45 billion, having manufactured tractors and harvesting machines totaling 38,434 units.
Shandong Changlin Group
Shandong Changlin was established in 1986 in Shandong, China. The enterprise manufactures agricultural machinery, wheel loaders, excavators, and road rollers with a workforce of over 1,000-plus, generating an annual revenue of US $50 million.
Conclusion
The manufacture of agricultural machinery continues to soar because of demand worldwide. With that said, the article above has highlighted the top 10 manufacturers for buyers to consider when searching for agricultural equipment.
For more information about agricultural machinery, head over to the agricultural machinery section on Alibaba.com.
