Sales value for agricultural machinery in NRW: Dramatic decline of 20.9%!

Sales value for agricultural machinery in NRW: Dramatic decline of 20.9%!

Mechanical engineering in North Rhine-Westphalia is facing challenging times that are also important for our region. Loud it.nrw In 2024, machines, apparatus and equipment for agriculture and forestry worth 2.8 billion euros were manufactured in 51 supply companies. However, this amount is not worth celebrating because the sales value fell by 726.7 million euros, or 20.9%, compared to the previous year. The decline marks the first in four years of steady growth for the industry. However, compared to 2015, the picture is positive: here the nominal increase is 498.8 million euros, which corresponds to an increase of 22.1%.

What happened? The slate of the economy was already pointing to a possible downward trend. And in fact: In the current year, 49 companies are active, producing machines and devices worth 1.6 billion euros. This corresponds to a decrease of 11.1% compared to the previous year. The nationwide sales value for 2024 was a nominal 12.8 billion euros, which corresponds to a decline of 19.9%. For NRW, this means the lowest share of German sales in a decade at just 21.4% - a drastic decline from 25.5% in 2015.

Consistent operations, reserved orders

Although the total number of companies has remained constant since 2021, the numbers show a clear picture: 35 companies produced machinery and equipment for agriculture with a nominal sales value of 2.1 billion euros. 27 companies manufactured parts for this worth 675.7 million euros, which also represents a decrease of 20.9%. Only 24 companies reported repairs in mechanical engineering, which were estimated at 24.9 million euros - which represents a slight increase of 1.1% compared to the previous year.

The engineering industry has proven to be central to our economy over the years. It includes not only agriculture, but also many areas such as transport, energy supply and environmental technology. This versatile engineering science has its origins in the craft of metalworking and has made enormous progress during industrialization, which must be mentioned because how Wikipedia According to reports, modern mechanical engineering emerged in England in the 19th century and has since spread worldwide.

Educational path and challenges

Mechanical engineering offers numerous specializations and forms the basis for numerous types of machines, from simple work equipment to complex plant engineering. Today, engineers are prepared in technical universities and technical colleges to study mechanical engineering, which usually takes around 10 semesters. These training centers are important in order to meet the need for well-trained specialists.

Mechanical engineering is undergoing a significant transformation and the challenges in the industry are numerous. The gap between the companies that are keeping up and those that are having difficulties seems to be widening. In these turbulent times, it is crucial that the industry sticks together and develops innovative solutions to meet the diverse needs of the market.

Mechanical engineering is of great importance for regional economic stability. What we will experience in the next few months and years will determine whether companies take new paths or stick to the old path. One thing is clear: a good hand at customization is now required.