1/11/2016 Agricultural machinery industry Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Agricultural machinery industry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The agricultural machinery industry or agricultural
engineering industry is the part of the industry, that
produces and maintain tractors, agricultural machinery
and agricultural implements. This branch is considered
to be part of the machinery industry.
Contents
AFBF 2011 exhibition, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
1 History
1.1 18th century
1.2 20th century
1.3 21st century
2 Agricultural machinery
3 Agricultural machinery manufacturers
4 Agricultural machinery associations
5 Global agricultural machinery industry
5.1 Agricultural machinery industry in
Asia
5.2 Agricultural machinery industry in
Europe
5.3 Agricultural machinery industry in
North America
5.4 Agricultural machinery industry in
South America
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History
See also history of Agricultural machinery and Mechanised agriculture
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18th century
The agricultural machinery industry emerged in Britain and the United States in the 19th century. Until
then the common tools of farming were the plough and the sickle.[1] These iron agricultural implements
were often made by blacksmiths in the local village, who regularly also acted as farrier. In the first part
of the 19th century some of the early agricultural machine manufacturers arose from these blacksmith
workshops,[2][3] such as John Deere who started up with the production of ploughs in series in the 1840s.
Other companies arose from the introduction of horse drawn
reaping, which replaced the type of hand reaper in use since
biblical times.[1] A company as the McCormick started up with
building these kind of harvesting machines around the 1840s.
And another origin of agricultural industry was the introduction
of combined harvesting, threshing and cleaning in the 1830s.[1]
The Case Corporation for example started building those in 1842
as the Racine Threshing Machine Works. Until early 20th
century most of those machinery were powered by horses.[1]
Agricultural Implements, 1851.
Mid 19th century the portable steampowered plowing engines
were introduced. They were used in pairs, placed on either side
of a field to haul a plow back and forth between them using a wire cable. These portable engines were
also used to power threshing machines, mills and pumps.[1] The portable steam engines were produced
by specific agricultural machinery maker, such as Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies who had started as brass
and ironfounder making casting ploughshares late 18th century.
Late 19th century in Britain more companies such as Richard Garrett & Sons and Mann’s Patent Steam
Cart and Wagon Company developed steam tractors for direct ploughing, but the heavy, wet soil of
England meant that these designs were less economical than a team of horses. In the United States,
where soil conditions permitted, steam tractors were used to directhaul plows. Steampowered
agricultural engines remained in use well into the 20th century until reliable internal combustion engines
had been developed.[4]
Collins (1987) recalled that the impact of the agricultural machinery industry in the 19th century was
still limited. He stated stated : "prior the third quarter of the nineteenth century the impact of machinery
in agriculture was slight compared with that in manufacturing industry. Some operations such as barn
work and hay and corn harvesting had been largely mechanized by 1880 but, up to the Second World
War, many were still performed by hand labour and large numbers of workers were still required for
seasonal tasks such as hop and fruitpicking and vegetable cultivations."[5]
20th century
In the beginning of the 20th century in the UK the Agricultural machinery industry "although composed
of many hundreds of firms, was dominated by a few large ones, chiefly in the eastern counties of
England. The total output of the industry was estimated to be worth 6.5 million pounds in 1913, or about
5 percent of the total value of the output of the mechanical engineering industry at the first Census of
Production in 1907."[6]
In the first decennia the internal combustion engine; first the petrol engine, and later diesel engines;
became the main source of power for the next generation of tractors. Early companies expanded into the
tractor business, such as John Deere which bought the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company in 1918,
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which manufactured the popular Waterloo Boy tractor. In the
1930s new technologies as rubber ties and hydrologics were
introduced in tractors and other farm machinery.[7] The diesel
engines also contributed to the development of the selfpropelled,
combined harvester and thresher, or combine harvester (also
shortened to 'combine'). Instead of cutting the grain stalks and
transporting them to a stationary threshing machine, these
combines cut, threshed, and separated the grain while moving
continuously through the field.
Agricultural exhibitions, 1951
In the second part of the 20th century the production of
agricultural machinery in development countries rose rapidly. In the 1960s a country as the UK exported
more than 60% of its production to Western Europe, Australia, USA, Canada and South Africa, and
main manufacturers started production plants abroad. Another trend was the increased concentration
among manufacturers. In the 1970s in the UK six companies supplied 75% of the total output.[8][9]
The further mechanization of agriculture in the 20th century made possible by the agricultural machinery
industry had a huge impact of the economic structure of society. In the developed countries the total
labour force engaged in agriculture dropped from about 75% in 1800 to less than 5% late 20th
century.[10] In developing countries, in late 20th century still 75% of all land "was farmed with only
handtools and draughtanimal technology."[11] In Turkey still 48% and in India 66.5% of the labor were
working in agriculture, according to the FAO Production Yearbook 1990.[10]
21st century
A 2013 report by the VDMA gave the following preview of the current developments in the agricultural
machinery industry:
"The general trends in society, agriculture and technology allow conclusions about the future
requirements profile for agricultural machinery... The depicted dominating topics for the
agricultural sector are
Precision & automation
Efficiency & user friendliness
Communication & networking
These topics are today already central components of the specifications for new
developments..."[12]
Agricultural machinery
The agricultural machinery industry produces agricultural machinery, machinery used in the operation of
agricultural areas and farms. Main types are:[13]
Tractors and power.
Machinery for tillage or soil cultivation.
Machinery for planting, seeding, fertilizing, pest control, irrigation.
Machinery for harvesting, haymaking, and postharvest, such as produce sorters, and machinery
for loading
Machinery for milking
Other agricultural machinery, for example grinder mixers, wool presses and windmills.[13]
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In developed countries overall the largest segment of agricultural equipment sales is tractors.[13]
Agricultural machinery manufacturers
Agricultural machinery manufacturers exist in sizes from small and medium business to multinationals.
James & Akrasanee (1988) stipulated that those forms have different production management, and can
be classified into three groups:
The first group consists of those workshops with limited and simple equipment. Despite their
flexibility, the production management system is very rare in this case.
The second group includes those with certain degrees of division of labour within the plant.
They do organize some plant layout, but not in a fully systematic manner.
The last group constitutes those with clear production lines and division of labour.[14]
The two largests agricultural machinery manufacturers worldwide based on revenue (in 2012):[15]
John Deere : $37.79 billion revenues and employing 67,000 people worldwide in 2013. Its
workforce has increased significantly in the past decennia from 43.000 in 2002 to 67.000 in
2013.[16]
CNH Global : $19.4 billion revenues and employing 33.800 people worldwide in 2013.
In the United States the revenue of tractor & agricultural machinery manufacturing sector increased from
about 35 billion U.S. dollars in 2009 to 42 billion U.S. dollars in 2014.[17]
Agricultural machinery associations
Some of the more important agricultural machinery associations are:
Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA): British trade association which represents
manufacturers and importers of agricultural machinery and outdoor equipment.[18]
Agrievolution: global network of agricultural machinery associations. [19]
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM): American association which represents
manufacturers of agricultural machinery. [20]
CEMA: European association representing the agricultural machinery industry in Europe. [21]
VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association: German manufacturers' association which represents
manufacturers of agricultural machinery. [22]
Global agricultural machinery industry
According to the CEMA, the European association representing the European agricultural machinery
industry, Europe was the largest producer of agricultural machinery globally in 2013:[23]
Europe produced 31% of the global production
North America produced 26.5% of the global production,
China produced 26.5% of the global production, and
The remaining 16% is produced elsewhere.
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In total, the production of agricultural machinery worldwide in 2013 generated about 95 billion euro,[23]
based on a report Agricultural Machinery November 2013 : Market Perspectives 2014[24] by the VDMA,
a German engineering association. Another recent statistic mentioned, that the agricultural machinery
industry in 2010 generated worldwide about $56 billion.[25]
Agricultural machinery industry in Asia
Yuan'en (2007) stated, that the "Chinese government has attached great importance to agriculture, rural
areas and farmers, made a series of policies that favorite to the farmers, added the financial subsidy to
the agriculture, especially constituted the subsidy policies for the farmers on their agricultural machinery
purchasing."[26]
A 20132014 report acknowledged that "China's agricultural machinery industry has achieved rapid
development, the gross output value of agricultural machinery exceeded RMB 300 billion, total power of
agricultural machinery surpassed 1 billion kilowatts, and the integrated mechanization level of
agricultural crops exceeded 50%, demonstrating that China has entered into a mechanized production
oriented period.... Tractors and harvesting machinery are the most important agricultural machinery
products in China, with annual output of 2.25 million units and 1.114 million units in 2012 separately...
[27]
Gyanendra (2006) recalled, that "the early agricultural mechanization in India was greatly influenced by
the technological development in England. Irrigation pumps, tillage equipment, chaff cutters, tractors
and threshers were gradually introduced for farm mechanization. The high yielding varieties with
assured irrigation and higher rate of application of fertilizers gave higher returns that enabled farmers to
adopt mechanization inputs, especially after Green revolution in 1960s."[28][29]
The Turkish Ministry of Economy (2011) explained that "Turkey is one of the few countries of the
world which is selfsufficient in food. At present Turkey is the largest producer and exporter of
agricultural products in the Near East and North Africa... The agricultural machinery industry is
comprised of about 1000 manufacturers countrywide.... Companies manufacturing agricultural
machinery and equipment except tractors are mostly small and medium size companies. The sector
employs about 15,000 workers... The value of agricultural machinery and spare parts and agricultural
tractors and trailers exports was US$ 313 million in 2009."[30]
Agricultural machinery industry in Europe
With a volume of 28 billion Euros (2014) agricultural machinery production in the European Union
(EU) represented 28 per cent of world total according to VDMA. Out of the EU total, the share of
Germany is 27 per cent, followed by Italy (17 per cent) and France (14 per cent). All leading
international manufacturers have several production sites on the European continent, and their products
from these factories in general are destined for the high end customers who yield for efficiency and
accuracy on the fields.
The EU production of tractors was 187,000 units, correspondent to a value of 9.4 billion Euros (2014).
Outside the EU, a major production site for tractors is the Minsk Tractor Works (Belarus) with a high
market share in the neighbouring countries, especially within the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The leading countries for tractor production in the EU are Germany and Italy (with John Deere, Case
New Holland, AGCO and Same DeutzFahr being the major brands). Germany is also the major place
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for the manufacturing of harvesting, spraying, fertilizing and seeding equipment. Italy and France have a
primary position for soil working machines and transportation vehicles. The majority of the agricultural
machinery companies are small and mediumsized and family owned.
One third of the EU production is destined to markets outside the union, mainly to the Eastern European
markets, but also to North America and, increasingly, to Asia.
After a peak in 2003 and 29 billion Euros of turnover, the sector experienced an economic downturn in
2014/2015. The strategy of the European industry is to keep its leading technological position and to
diversify its market presence into the high potential regions (e.g. Asia).
Agricultural machinery industry in North America
The AEM (2014) stated that "U.S. domestic sales of agricultural machinery and equipment rose from
about $20 billion in 1999 to $38 billion in 2012. Since 1998 and through 2012, U.S. exports of
agricultural equipment have grown relatively quickly, more than doubling from about $4 billion to $8.7
billion.[31]
Agricultural machinery industry in South America
Graciela summarized (2008) that "the agricultural machinery industry in Argentina depends for growth
on higher exports and further progress towards internationalization, which are strategic goals for the
largest firms. Given the dynamism of global demand for this type of machinery, the conclusion is that
the sector can increase its sales in export markets, where some of its products are competing well."[32][33]
See also
Category:Agricultural machinery manufacturers
Agribusiness
Agriculture
Agricultural engineering
Mechanised agriculture
References
1. R.C. Gifford. Agricultural Engineering in Development: Concepts and principles
(http://books.google.com/books?id=G6JkSfrmbF8C&pg=PA7). 1992. p. 78
2. Jan H. Maas (1994) De Nederlandse agrosector: geografie en dynamiek p.177
3. Gifford (1992, p. 9) even stated that "nearly all farm machinery manufacturers today can be trace their
beginnings to a blacksmith."
4. "Tractors in the 1930s".
5. Collins, Edward JT. "The rationality of'surplus' agricultural labour: mechanization in English agriculture in
the nineteenth century (http://www.bahs.org.uk/AGHR/ARTICLES/35n1a4.pdf)." The Agricultural History
Review (1987): 3646.
6. Dewey, Peter. "The British Agricultural Machinery Industry, 19141939: Boom, Crisis, and Response."
Agricultural History (1995): 298313.
7. Gifford (1992, p. 8)
8. Keith Cowling, David Metcalf, A. J. Rayner. (1973) Resource Structure of Agriculture: An Economic
Analysis (http://books.google.com/books?id=cKjYBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA128), p. 1278
9. See also: World bank (1954) Western Europe Tractor and agricultural machinery industry
(http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1954/06/1554374/westerneuropetractoragricultural
machineryindustry).
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1/11/2016 Agricultural machinery industry Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
10. Gifford (1992, p. 9)
11. Gifford (1992, p. 10)
12. VDMA. Agricultural Machinery November 2013 : Market Perspectives 2014
(http://www.vdma.org/documents/105903/842491/VDMA%20Market%20Perspectives%202014.pdf/9a9a7bef
4bb54d11891e934998177005), 201314. p. 5
13. Ade Asefeso (2012). CEO Guide to Doing Business in Australia, p. 54
14. Kenneth James, Narongchai Akrasanee. Small and Medium Business Improvement in the ASEAN Region:
Production Management. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1 dec. 1988
15. The leading machinery manufacturers worldwide in 2012, based on revenue
(http://www.statista.com/statistics/257347/leadingmachinerymanufacturersworldwide/). Accessed
25.11.2014.
16. Number of employees of John Deere (Deere & Company) from 2002 to 2013
(http://www.statista.com/statistics/278010/johndeerenumberofemployeessince2002/). Accessed
25.11.2014.
17. Revenue of tractor & agricultural machinery manufacturing (NAICS 33311) in the United States from 2009 to
2014 (in billion U.S. dollars) (http://www.statista.com/statistics/291882/revenueoftractorandagricultural
machinerymanufacturingintheus/). Accessed 25.11.2014.
18. About the AEA. Accessed 27.11.2014. (http://www.aea.uk.com/abouttheaea)
19. Agrevolution website (http://www.agrievolution.com/)
20. AEM website (https://www.aem.org/)
21. CEMA website (http://www.cemaagri.org/)
22. VDMA website (http://lt.vdma.org/en/home)
23. CEMA. 2013 another strong year for the European agricultural machinery industry (http://cema
agri.org/publication/2013anotherstrongyeareuropeanagriculturalmachineryindustry). February 2014.
Accessed 26.11.2014
24. VDMA. Agricultural Machinery November 2013 : Market Perspectives 2014
(http://www.vdma.org/documents/105903/842491/VDMA%20Market%20Perspectives%202014.pdf/9a9a7bef
4bb54d11891e934998177005), 201314. p. 25
25. Agricultural Machinery Industry Market Research & Statistics
(http://www.reportlinker.com/ci02002/AgriculturalMachinery.html). Accessed 25.11.2014.
26. Yuan’en, Gao, and Machinery Manufacturers. "Agricultural Machinery Industry in China." Chinese
Association of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery (2007).
27. Global and Chinese Agricultural Machinery Industry Report, 20132014, December 2013. Summary ( online).
Accessed 25.11.2014. (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/sqdz96/global_and)
28. Singh, Gyanendra. "Agricultural Machinery Industry in India (Manufacturing, marketing and mechanization
promotion) (http://agricoop.nic.in/Farm%20Mech.%20PDF/0502409.pdf)." Status of Farm Mechanization in
India (2006).
29. See also: Singh, Sukhpal. "Agricultural Machinery Industry in India: A Study of Growth, Market Structure,
and Business Strategies
(http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/users/webrequest/files/cmareports/3AgriculturalMachineryIndustry.pdf)." (2009).
30. Turkish Ministry of Economy (2011), "Agricultural Machinery Industry in Turkey
(http://blog.tcp.gov.tr/index.php/2011/06/agriculturalmachineryindustryinturkey2/)" at blog.tcp.gov.tr,
01.06.2011. Accessed 28.11.2014
31. AEM (2014) The Economic Footprint of the Agricultural Equipment Industry
(http://www.aem.org/MarketInfo/MarketIntel/WhitePapers/EconomicFootprint
AgriculturalEquipmentIndustry/Files/AEM_Economic_Whitepaper.pdf). Whitepaper.
32. García, Graciela. "The agricultural machinery industry in Argentina: from restructuring to internationalization?
(http://www.cepal.org/cgibin/getProd.asp?
xml=/revista/noticias/articuloCEPAL/3/35763/P35763.xml&xsl=/revista/tpli/p39f.xsl&base=/revista/tpl
i/topbottom.xsl)." CEPAL Review 96 (2008).
33. See also: Barletta, F. (2012), "The agricultural machinery industry in Argentina: innovative behavior and
export performance." (http://www.ungs.edu.ar/piec/wpcontent/uploads/2012/10/Theagriculturalmachinery
industryinArgentine.pdf)
External links
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