Agricultural machineries, Italian export goes up
Global growth in the agricultural machinery market is also driving Italian exports, which are up 20.8% in the tractor segment and 19.8% in the operating machinery and equipment segment. 2022 has many unknowns, mainly related to the consequences of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine
The growth of the world market for agricultural machinery recorded last year is also driving Italian exports, which in 2021 will show significant increases. According to ISTAT data, in the eleven months from January to November foreign sales of mechanical equipment for agriculture showed an overall increase in value of 20% (tractors grew by 20.8%, other machinery by 19.8%), exceeding the threshold of 5.1 billion euros. From January to November - FederUnacoma pointed out during the press conference held at Fieragricola - the largest share of Italian exports was absorbed by the French (694 million), US (563 million) and German (514 million) markets, which together account for 35% of all Italian exports. More marginal, in the geography of our exports, but growing in percentage terms, are the shares destined for Russia and Ukraine, the countries involved in the current dramatic conflict.
Exports of Italian tractors and agricultural machinery to Russia, long considered an emerging market, account for a value of 124 million euros in the eleven months from January to November 2021, up 29% on the previous year, while export figures for Ukraine indicate a total value of 63 million euros, up 52%. These volumes are still small (2.4% and 1.2% of total exports respectively) but with a very promising dynamic, before the sudden change in situation.
As far as the overall trend of our exports is concerned, it should be noted that - due to the growth in industrial production costs - it has undergone a downturn in the second half of the year compared to the first, while still maintaining positive indexes (in the first months of the year exports of tractors had risen by 57%, which then dropped to 20% in November). This is reflected in the production of industries, which have added to the good performance of the domestic market the good performance of foreign markets, and which estimate an overall growth in turnover in the current year of around 19% (referring to tractors, operating machinery, agricultural equipment, gardening and landscaping machinery and components), rising from 11.5 billion in 2020 to 13.7 billion estimated for 2021.
Forecast surveys for 2022 made at the beginning of the year indicated increases in turnover in Europe in the first six months, but the Russian-Ukrainian military crisis is now a very influential variable for the economy as a whole, with effects that are still difficult to measure.
