Components, a growing market

Estimates from the Italian manufacturers' association indicate turnover increases of more than 20% for 70% of manufacturers in 2021. Positive indicators also for the first half of 2022, and good future prospects due to electronic technologies, which are becoming increasingly important in the sector and are pushing agricultural mechanics towards the digital transition

In a year marked by record growth in the agricultural machinery market, with a 36% increase in tractor registrations in Italy and consistent increases for all types of machines and equipment, the components sector is also experiencing consistent growth. Demand for components - be they gears, axles, tyres, engines, and every other type of product right through to accessories for driver's cabs and electronic devices for precision farming and operation control - is growing on the back of production that is running at a very high rate. On the other hand, sales increases are being seen not only in Italy but in the whole of Europe and in the major markets of the world, and this strengthens the business of the Italian components industry, which produces only in part for the domestic market and allocates over 70% of its production to foreign markets. The Italian agricultural machinery components industry closed 2020 with a production value estimated at around 1.8 billion euros, and it is easy to predict an even more substantial 2021 final balance. The data of the "Barometer" on components created by FederUnacoma on the basis of feedback from Comacomp member industries (the acronym that brings together the industries of the sector within FederUnacoma) indicate a very substantial growth in turnover. In 2021, 21% of Comacomp member industries recorded increases in turnover of between 3% and 20%, while as many as 70% of them recorded growth of more than 20%. A good trend is also expected for the first half of 2022, when 31% of companies expect a stable trend in turnover, while 58% expect further increases, albeit to varying degrees (from a minimum of 3% to more than 20%). Electronic technologies for agricultural machinery and equipment play an important role in the components sector. Whether traditional sensors, screens and control units, or automatic guidance systems, ISOBUS control or Big Data management, electronic technologies applied to agriculture are set to become an increasingly important and increasingly integrated part of the component ranges. Moreover, public incentives for the digital transition are an effective driver for the spread of advanced electronic technologies and, consequently, for their increasingly widespread inclusion in mass production.