Agco Corp. (AG) said Tuesday that global sales of farm equipment would fall even more than expected as it cut its 2009 profit forecast by more than 27%.

The U.S.-based company is the global number-three maker of tractors and combines by sales but the largest player in South America, where it now expects industry sales to fall by 25% to 35% compared with last year.

The combination of falling commodity prices, weaker crop demand and currency shifts is crimping demand for everything from tractors to seeds and fertilizers following a prolonged sector boom.

Tight credit conditions have also been a factor, notably in South America, despite the launch of government-backed credit programs.

Agco had previously forecast a 20% to 30% industry sales decline for the region, where it compares with CNH Global N.V. (CNH) and Deere & Co. (DE).

Tractor sales fell 60% in drought-racked Argentina during the first quarter, said Agco, though they climbed 3% in Brazil as demand for smaller equipment was buoyed by state-backed loan programs.

Agco expects sales in North America to fall 15% to 20% this year, compared with a 5% decline forecast previously. Sales in Western Europe are expected to fall 10% to 15% this year.

The Duluth, Ga.-based tractor and combine maker reported first-quarter net income of $34 million, or 36 cents a share, down from $59 million, or 59 cents a share, a year earlier. Net sales in the quarter fell 12% to $1.57 billion.

Wall Street analysts expected Agco to earn 23 cents a share on sales of $1.56 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

Agco trimmed its profit forecast for the year. It now sees earnings per share in a range of $2 to $2.50, down from a forecast of $3 to $3.25 previously. Agco expects sales for the year to be $6.7 billion to $7 billion. The company expects unfavorable currency exchange rates to lower sales this year by 11%.

Agco has turned its focus toward developing higher horsepower tractor models used in large-tract farming, particularly in the U.S.

"I think our focus on the professional farmer is the right strategy," Chairman and Chief Executive Martin Richenhagen said during a conference call. "Those products have higher margins and the farmers act more like investors."

Agco shares were recently down 2.6% at $23.61.

-By Bob Tita, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4129