Escorts to sell new 80hp tractor in Europe

November 18, 2013: Tractor manufacturer Escorts Ltd has announced plans to create a new 80hp range in the European tractor market. At AGRITECHNICA 2013, Escorts will launch its new range of products at a competitive price in the European tractor market. Its global brand Farmtrac is aimed at the under-served small horsepower farm market. This range of products will be accompanied by further strengthening of its higher horsepower range of European Farmtrac series to garner a 10 percent share of the European market.

With its ‘Going Global Strategy’, Escorts will focus on several new markets in the European region, Latin America and South Africa and bring them the best of technology at an affordable price. The company will further expand its current presence in ASEAN countries, Africa and in parts of Europe. The European markets in focus are Germany, UK, France, Turkey, Italy and Spain. Escorts’ Farmtrac Europeline product range caters to the high horsepower segment up to 110 hp.

The USP of the product range is that it comes with world-class components at a competitive price. The series is specially designed and manufactured in Escorts’ state-of-the-art facility in Poland. The Polish plant is a 100 percent subsidiary of Escorts with an installed manufacturing capacity of 3,000 tractors per annum. These products also leverage Escorts’ experience in agriculture mechanization to produce tractors with value-proposition of fuel efficiency, warranty and cost-effectiveness. The large farms in Europe not only require higher horspower tractors but mid-size utility tractors for doing various chores around the farm.

These tractors need to be entry level low horsepower machines that are light weighted, high on comfort and with a reasonable price structure. With not many players catering to these requirements, Farmtrac plans to leverage this segment with their new Farmtrac Heritage product line which is classic, simple yet highly efficient. The same Heritage series would be a great choice for small farms where the use of a very large, sophisticated tractor cannot be justified. This sub-80hp segment has a total market of roughly 70,000 tractors and Farmtrac is aims to acquire 10 percent of the market share by 2020.

According to Nikhil Nanda, MD, Escorts Ltd, “Farmtrac has been well recognised as an international brand and we are proud to take India’s technological excellence to the world. Our expertise has always been aimed at empowering the farmer, be it India or globally. We want to improve farm lifestyles by making hard work easier, increasing yields, and helping the farmers prosper. Just like we have introduced the best of world to Indian farmer, we are now taking our quality engineering to the international consumer. After leading the Indian tractor market for nearly six decades, we now aim to redefine the European tractor market and emerge as a market leader.”

S Sridhar, CEO, Escorts Agri machinery, said: “Driving growth through innovation is the cornerstone of the company’s strategy. This is evident from some amazing products we have launched in the last 12-18 months which have received a very favourable customer response. After creating a satisfactory customer base at home, we now aim to bring the best of Indian technology to the European markets. Moreover, the European agriculture machinery market is in a buoyant phase. The two product lines are very distinct from each other and come at a price structure that will change the dynamics of the European tractor market.”

SHOBHA MATHUR