There is no end to what President Trump will do next. This Wednesday is, as he puts it, ‘Liberation Day’. It is when he will introduce tariffs on car imports to the US. This will particularly affect Europe. There are already tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. This may also have an indirect effect on the dealership industry. The cost of purchasing and selling new machinery will become ever more unpredictable.

With that in mind alternative options of doing business may become necessary. One such option may be renting or leasing out new equipment. Financial pressures on farmers in particular may not allow them to purchase new machinery. Instead, having the choice of renting may seem more attractive for them, especially for small-scale farmers and growers who may not need equipment throughout the year.  

With economic pressures affecting sales, the market for 2025 still looks uncertain with some predicting a 2% decline in new equipment sales by the end of the year. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released their figures for February and they showed that 231 new tractors were licensed for the first time. This represents a drop of 8% compared to the same period last year when 250 new tractors were licensed. 

As tractor sales are slowing down there is a growing trend among customers of making existing tractors last longer. This will see a big demand in after sales service which will include spare parts, maintenance and repairs. It will be important for dealers to offer a high standard of service and have quality spare parts available and that they are also quickly and easily sourced.

Despite the gloomy outlook the next decade will see a lot of advancements in agricultural and horticultural equipment. I think the biggest development will be in the area of alternative fuels. Governments are under pressure to reduce global warming so fossil fuels will be under the microscope. We are still in the early stages of this but trials in electric and hydrogen powered engines in the agricultural and horticultural sectors look very promising. 

On a final note, I’m sad to say that this is my last blog as editor of Service Dealer Ireland. From now on you will receive regular updates from Service Dealer’s UK and Ireland edition, which will be brought to you by Steve Gibbs. I thoroughly enjoyed keeping you up to date on what has been happening in the dealership industry in Ireland and beyond over the past six years. One of the most exciting things that stood out for me during those years has been how farm and garden machinery has embraced robotic and precision farming technologies. No doubt this will continue well into the future. Even more exciting times lie ahead.

Signing off for now.

Polaris has honoured its top performing dealers with their annual awards, with one dealership crowning its 50th year in business by claiming their coveted Dealer of the Year award.

Gillian Sutherland, operations manager at AY Morton and Alistair Morton, owner of the business

Lanarkshire-based AY Morton took the top award at a ceremony bringing Polaris’ UK and Ireland dealer network together to recognise exceptional performances across sales, servicing and marketing during 2024.

Richard Coleby, Polaris’ national sales manager for the UK and Ireland, said, “The awards bring everyone together and are a great opportunity to recognise dealer development and achievement.

“We make high demands from all our dealers, but we also work hard to support them and deliver the valuable leads they need. These awards help to celebrate the exceptional strides our entire dealer network has made over the past year.

“AY Morton was a worthy winner, everything they do is to a high standard – from customer care through to after sales and their showroom. They were the most rounded dealer in our network this year and the whole experience they provide is head and shoulders above your average dealer.”

AY Morton also won the Marketing and Lead Generation Award at the ceremony before being named the overall Dealer of the Year.

The dealership is based in Strathaven, with another service centre in Ayrshire, and offers the full range of Polaris vehicles alongside a compact tractor offering. Owner Alastair Morton said: “We’ve now been in business for 50 years, but we have been working with Polaris for around 20 years. We got involved because we wanted to focus on one quality brand, ensuring we know everything about it.

“In that time Polaris has continually improved and is a great brand. This is the first time we’ve won the top award and it’s incredible to be named Dealer of the Year – this is a big moment for us.”

Other winners on the night included Congleton Garden Machinery which collected the Sales Performance Award and Stag Environmental, which was named Service Dealer of the Year.

AGCO Corporation has announced the expansion of Valtra's Suolahti, Finland transmission plant has been completed on schedule, bringing with it thousands of square metres of new production space.

The manufacturer says this major investment modernises production and improves working conditions.

The expansion enables the production of new AGCO Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT). Currently, the factory produces gearboxes for the Valtra N and T Series tractors and supplies transmissions for the South American market and components for other AGCO production facilities. The company says the introduction of the new Valtra Q and S Series gearbox test bench facilitates the production of higher performance tractors and meets growing customer demand.

“Our Suolahti plant plays a critical role in AGCO’s global manufacturing network for tractors and components,” said senior vice president, chief supply chain officer Tim Millwood. “The completion of the CVT expansion in Suolahti enables us to meet the growing demand for not only AGCO CVT’s for Valtra but also AGCO’s other leading brands.”

The company says their investment will allow them to double their transmission capacity and bring new expertise to the Valtra lineup of tractors.

New Holland is marking the 50th year since introducing the first combines featuring the brand’s Twin Rotor threshing and separation technology, a product line which has grown from a single model in 1975 to a complete range today, led by the new CR10 and CR11.

The milestone will be celebrated globally with special displays at shows and exhibitions.

Over 70,000 TR and CR Twin Rotor combines have been produced globally to date. New Holland’s Centre of Harvesting Excellence in Zedelgem, Belgium, has recently undergone significant investment and upgrading for production of the latest CR10 and CR11 models.

Like their forebears, these latest models continue to incorporate Twin Rotor technology, but have more capacity than ever, with greater power and tank volume matched by rotors with a diameter of 600mm/24in and a length of 3,600mm/142in, to maximise crop handling capacity, ensure thorough threshing and separation, and protect grain quality.  

Amazone Group have announced that their sales have decreased 10.4% compared to the previous year, in which a record high of 852 million euro was achieved. However they say the group's performance in the market remained above the industry average, and the number of employees worldwide stayed constant at around 2,500.

Dr Justus Dreyer and Christian Dreyer, joint chairmen of the board and owners of the Amazone Group

Despite the decline in sales and the geopolitical uncertainties faced, the company say they were able to maintain its financial strength and continues to pursue a course of sustainable growth. Strong export activities remain stable and make up 80% of total sales. The French, Polish, Spanish and Chinese markets all performed particularly well. With the acquisition of the Brazilian fertiliser spreader specialist MP AGRO, a strategic partner was gained to enable further growth in South America.

"The decades-long relationships with our sales partners, farmers and contractors worldwide make an important contribution to our success. This close collaboration enables us offer tailor-made solutions for every farm and every region, from soil tillage and sowing to fertilisation and plant protection," explained Christian Dreyer and Dr Justus Dreyer (Joint Chairmen of the Board and owners of the AMAZONE Group). 

The company also says how it continues to invest in the expansion of its production capacities. Warehouse facilities and the outdoor storage space at Leipzig is currently being significantly expanded. This year, a state-of-the-art training centre for crop protection machinery and other large-scale equipment will be built at the Altmoorhausen facility. 

"Our aim is not only to fulfil the current needs of our customers, but also to recognise the requirements of the future at an early stage and develop technical solutions and digital services to meet those needs," explained the Dreyers. “We are therefore looking forward to Agritechnica, the world's leading machinery exhibition, as one of this year's focal points. We will once again be presenting many innovative ideas that provide efficient and sustainable agriculture to an international audience."