2017年插秧机市场回顾与预判（英）

Review of Transplanter Market in the First Half of 2017

Since 2017, China’s agricultural machinery market has been confronted with a more complex environment and uncertainty factors. From January to May, the mainstream market of harvesters and tractors for three major grain crops declined all the way, and the agricultural machinery industry is filled with pessimism and panic. However, the transplanter market rose against the trend on the contrary, like a bunch of light into the night.

What is the trend of the transplanter market?

The market is in sound operation with a slight rise

From January to May 2017, the transplanter market is characterized by steady operation and slight rise with the support of a variety of positive factors, serving as the only bright spot in the mainstream market.

Market survey shows that as of the end of May, the cumulative sales of a variety of transplanters reached 87400 units with a slight year-on-year growth of 3.27%, including the cumulative sales of walking transplanters of 62300 units, with a cumulative growth of 4.81%; that of riding (high-speed) transplanters of 16500 units with a significant year-on-year growth of 10.42%; while the single-wheel transplanters showed a sharp drop, whose cumulative sales turned out to be 8600 units, with year-on-year decrease of 16.15%. In terms of market share, walking, riding (high-speed) and single-wheel transplanters account for 71.26%, 18.91% and 9.83%, respectively, with year-on-year growth of 1.05%, 1.23% and -2.28% compared with the same period of 2016.

Sales Structure of Transplanter Market from Jan. to May 2017

The slight rise in the transplanter market in 2017 is by no accident, and there are many reasons for this. First is the rigid demand. China’s market shows strong rigid demand due to lower machine transplanting rate. Second is the planting structure adjustment. In the wave of planting structure adjustment in China, especially the ‘dryland soil being reclaimed into paddy soil’ in corn-growing regions, it has played a strong supporting role in stable operation of the transplanter market. Third is policy support. In rice-growing regions, transplanter is the focus of the subsidy policy to purchase agricultural machinery, driving the development of transplanter market. Fourth is the endogenous power of the transplanter market, especially the renewal demand arising out of structural adjustment, it plays an important role in stabilizing the market.

Walking transplanter market is characterized by multi-row development and high brand concentration

Market survey shows that China’s cumulative sales of walking transplanters reached 62300 units from January to May, with a slight year-on-year growth of 4.81%.

In recent years, China’s walking transplanter market shows an obvious tendency of multi-row development, during which 2-row transplanters basically have withdrawn from the market and 4-row transplanters have been fading away year by year. In addition, such tendency became more prominent in the first five months of 2017. Market survey shows that as of the end of May, the cumulative sales of 4-row transplanters reached 23700 units and 6-row transplanters of 38600 units, with year-on-year growth of -30.05% and 53.12%; accounting for 38.05% and 61.95% of the total, respectively.

Market Demand Structure of Walking Transplanters from Jan. to May 2017

Since China’s walking transplanter market is highly concentrated, the market share is concentrated mainly in six major brands including Kubota. Market survey shows that as of the end of May, the cumulative sales of the six major brands reached 51500 units with a year-on-year growth of 8.5%; accounting for 82.75% of the total, with year-on-year growth of 2.81% compared with the same period of 2016.

Kubota takes the first place in the walking transplanter market, whose cumulative sales reached 25700 units, with year-on-year growth of 21.57%; accounting for 41.32% of the total, with year-on-year growth of 5.7% compared with the same period of 2016. Jiufu has also achieved good performance whose cumulative sales reached 13500 units, with year-on-year growth of 10.23%; accounting for 21.65% of the total, with year-on-year growth of 1.06 percentage points compared with the same period of 2016. However, Yanmar and other brands experienced a decline to different extents. 

Market share of mainstream brands of walking transplanters from January to May 2017

High-speed transplanter market shows a sharp rise, with ‘troika’ holding the market

High-speed transplanter represents the development direction of China’s transplanter market, showing a good momentum of rising in recent years. Market survey shows that the cumulative sales of a variety of riding transplanters reached 16500 units from January to May, with a sharp year-on-year growth of 10.42%.

6-row transplanters are best-selling, whose cumulative sales of 13500 units, with a significant year-on-year growth of 44.59%; accounting for 62.26% of the total, with year-on-year growth of 19.27 percentage points compared with the same period of 2016. 4-row transplanters have nearly withdrawn from the market, and 8-row transplanters reached the sales of 2869 units, with a sharp year-on-year decrease of 43.86%, whose market share is also decreased by 16.78 percentage points. The reasons for the formation are as follows: the upsizing demand results in the withdrawal of 4-row transplanters, and the decline in consumer purchasing power results in a sharp decrease in 8-row transplanters.

Market demand structure of riding transplanters from January to May 2017

High-speed riding transplanter market is dominated by three major brands, namely, Kubota, Yanmar and Iseki. Market survey shows that the cumulative sales reached 13900 units in the first five months of 2017, with a year-on-year growth of 14.54%, accounting for 83.85% of the total, with year-on-year growth of 3.01 percentage points compared with the same period of 2016.

Kubota becomes the big winner in the market, whose cumulative sales reached up to 7000 units, with year-on-year growth of 5%; accounting for 44.51% of the total, with year-on-year growth of 13.06 percentage points compared with the same period of 2016. On the contrary, Yanmar and Iseki saw a decline to different extents.

Market Share of Mainstream Brands of High-speed Riding Transplanters from January to May 2017

Single-wheel transplanter market shows a sharp decline with prominent transition characteristics

In the first four months of 2017, the cumulative sales of single-wheel transplanters in China reached 10467 units, with year-on-year decline of 7.41%. At present, there are four major single-wheel transplanter manufacturers, including Tongfang and Fowor, etc. Market survey shows that the cumulative sales of the four mainstream brands reached 8597 units in the first four months, with a significant year-on-year decrease of 16.15%, accounting for 82.13%, with year-on-year decrease of 9 percentage points compared with the same period of 2016.

Single-wheel low-speed riding transplanter is a single type of riding transplanter designed to overcome the shortcoming of high labor intensity of the walking transplanter due to the lack of purchasing power in the development process of the transplanter market. Since it cannot be compared with the high-speed transplanter in terms of limitations on the operating environment, transplanter quality and efficiency, such transitional model will also be ended with the increasingly strong consumer purchasing power.

Market Share of Mainstream Brands of Single-wheel Transplanters from January to May 2017

Export increases in volume while decreases in amount, regional concentration Decrease

In the first four months of 2017, China’s export performance of transplanters is remarkably characterized by a sharp rise in export volume while a significant decline in export amount. Customs statistics show that as of the end of April, the cumulative export of a variety of transplanters reached up to 9698 units, with year-on-year growth of 61.58%; achieving the amount of exports of 10.425 million US dollars, with year-on-year decline of 37.67%. The main reason for the significant decline in exports is the export of micro-transplanters. Take exports to Mali for example, the cumulative sales reached 5950 units in the first four months, while the amount of exports was 488900 US dollars, and the unit price is 100 US dollars, so it can be seen that only one exporting country like this pulled up the entire export volume.

Export concentration is also decreased. Customs statistics show that the top 7 export destination countries in terms of export amount accumulatively exported 3380 units, with year-on-year decline of 40.61%; accounting for 34.85%, with year-on-year decrease of 59.97 percentage points compared with the same period of 2016. They achieved an export amount of 9.1746 million US dollars, with year-on-year decline of 43.75%; accounting for 88.01%, with year-on-year decrease of 9.52 percentage points compared with the same period of 2016.

Among the top 7 countries in terms of export amount, it shows a tendency of ‘3 up and 4 down’. Iran, the Philippines and Vietnam showed a growth to different extents, and Iran and Vietnam gained a three-digit year-on-year growth. South Korea, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka showed a decline to different extents, which is a two-digit decline. Among them, South Korea became the dominant export destination country in the first four months with cumulative sales of 321 units, achieving the export amount of 2.5095 million US dollars, with year-on-year decrease of 59.72% and 53.35, respectively, and the market share was decreased by 9.97% and 8.09%, respectively.