The general business climate index for the agricultural machinery industry in Europe has dropped back into negative territory for the first time since its upturn a year ago. In March 2026, the index decreased from +2 points to -2 points (on a scale of -100 to +100).The general business climate index for the agricultural machinery industry in Europe has dropped back into negative territory for the first time since its upturn a year ago.
In March 2026, the index decreased from +2 points to -2 points (on a scale of -100 to +100).The reason for the decline in the overall index is a downward adjustment in expectations for the coming six months, since the upturn has not materialized in many segments, particularly in harvesting and arable equipment. The spread between negative current business evaluations and positive future expectations, which has persisted for several months, has thereby narrowed again.However, with regards to the year as a whole, the outlook still appears to be slightly positive. For the full year of 2026, the survey participants expect their company's turnover to increase in the single-digit range on average.
Among the markets that industry representatives continue to view with confidence are Western and Northern Europe, as well as Oceania, while North America is ranking at the bottom of the confidence index regarding future turnover growth.
