Retail sales of combines in both Canada and the U.S. showed a marked increase in April this year while the market for sub-compact tractors continues to soften.

The count for April 2023 from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers puts self-propelled combine sales in Canada at 166, up 50.9 per cent from April 2022, and at 572 for the year to date, up from 246 in the year-earlier period.

Sales of two-wheel-drive (2WD) tractors in Canada saw a marked decline in April, particularly in models under 40 horsepower (1,269, down 34.4 per cent).

April sales of 2WD tractors came in at 2,098 for the month, down 27.7 per cent from April 2022, and at 7,462 year-to-date, down 15.1 per cent from the year-earlier.

Taken together, sales of tractors and combines in Canada in April 2023 were below the total for each of 2021 and 2022 and below the five-year (2018-22) average.