While big tractor-mounted loaders continue to hold sway in North America for feeding livestock, stacking bales, loading manure and other handling duties, French farmers underscored their appreciation of telescopic handlers last year by purchasing more of them than ever.

Machinery trade organization Axema reckons sales increased around 44% in 2019, taking into account registration data thought to include some machines bought in previous years that must now be recorded.

Raw government data shows registrations of…