The Libramont Fair made its big comeback this Friday, following editions postponed due to covid. This is an opportunity for farmers to discover the latest trends in terms of agricultural machinery. However, they face supply difficulties.
Delivery times are very important. An example with a large tractor exhibited at Libramont. It is intended for field crops, has 315 horsepower and costs 280,000 euros including VAT. Usually, to buy such a machine, you have to wait three months for delivery. For the moment, it is rather necessary to count twelve months of delay. This is the announced time, but it is not guaranteed. Some witnesses told us of a twenty-month wait. The situation is the same for all other agricultural equipment.
Two causes are put forward by our interlocutors. First, the covid with delays in deliveries to suppliers. And then the year 2021 with farmers who increased demand, because they had fears regarding the increase in announced prices.
“It complicates our task. Just like when everyone buys a car and the seller can’t say when you’re going to receive it, it’s not very easy to convince the buyer and for him to decide to spend a good amount of money. ‘silver“, explains Sébastien Louis, agricultural equipment dealer.
In drought, there are machines that burn completely
For the farmer, it is a work tool: he faces breakdowns and must maintain his activity. “Absolutely, so it has to be well equipped, have a good dealership with good service.“, says Sébastien Louis.
What solutions exist to overcome the extended deadlines? “Everything depends on the situation. We can in case of drought like this year, there are machines that burn completely. So you have to hurry, you can rent a machine when there is no more stock machine. Or we bring back a machine from a foreign country which is not sold and which may be available for us“, says the dealer.
The return to normal is completely uncertain. Some evoke 2025 to return to normal deadlines, but without certainty.
