Local farm equipment dealers are hoping growing conditions are ideal for a plentiful crop this year, which will translate into increased sales.

Tom Stephenson of Weyburn Agro says he'll have a reasonably good sales year as long there are favourable rain conditions.

"This year there are way more acres in the ground - more crops have been seeded this year than for a lot of years," said Stephenson. "There could even be a shortage of combines. I've been selling used combines and there's a shortage of some models. There will be a lot of acres to take off."

While sales aren't brisk - "I don't think anything is brisk right now in the agriculture industry," says Stephenson - there is a demand for speciality items, swathers and sprayers.

"There are different crops out there now. There are a lot of pulse crops and varieties of crops that need special equipment," he said.

Stephenson adds the parts and servicing side of his business is on par with last year.

Dennis Simpart of Hibbard Equipment in Ceylon says sales, parts and servicing in his shop are all slower than normal.

"Right now we're selling a little spraying equipment, but that's it," he said.

Like Stephenson, Simpart is counting on a good crop to improve the economic outlook of his business.

"We're having good weather in this location and there's lots of specialty (crops). If things work this will be as good a year or better than other years," he said.

Currently there are only two people on staff at Hibbard Equipment. The business did have a staff of three earlier in the year, but one employee left and has not been replaced.

In the Francis area, Jim Mitchell of Mitchell's Farm Supply says sales are better than they expected, considering the client list is half of what it once was.

"The ones that are left are larger, and the little guys are just falling by the wayside - they're either renting land or planting it to grass. Our client list is changing so dramatically, when we really sit down and analyze it it's shocking to us. But we're having a much better time of it than we thought we would," he said.

Swathers and haying equipment are bringing in the highest sales at Mitchell's right now, due in large part to the types of crops planted in the area.

"We're in the specialty crop area and they need these swathers and specialty equipment to get their crop off. Specialty crops up until now have been paying the bills in this area, and we've been fortunate in that way," said Mitchell.

At E. Bourassa and Sons in Radville and Pangman, bailers, hay bines and wind rowers are selling at a good rate, says owner Dan Bourassa.

Bourassa says he's looking forward to harvest this year, expecting a slight increase in grain prices and good weather conditions will boost his sales.

"But, you can't tell until the bins are full," he cautions.