Used tractor registrations remained relatively low until the last quarter of the year. Despite the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the level of used registrations is still behind 2014 figures.

There is little doubt that Brexit has handed an opportunity for the Irish buyer to get value deals in the UK. With favourable exchange rates and English dealers full of second-hand stock, it has created the environment for a surge in imports into Ireland.

Despite all of this, there will only be about the same levels of UK tractor imports as in previous years. In January 2016 used tractor registrations were back by 47 units on 2015 and back by 23 units in February.

The increase in the final quarter from August to November is where the imports really outpaced other years. Excluding the figures for December, there were 1,869 used tractors registered, ahead of 2015 by 244 units for the same period.

However, 2016 figures are still 162 units behind 2014 for the same period, with no Brexit to contend with that year. There will always be imported tractors contributing to the overall sales, and some of the most successful dealers started as importers of secondhand machinery.

Brexit and the exchange rate offered a welcome break to UK dealers who had been sitting on expensive kit for export. The advice for anyone seeking to buy a tractor from the UK is to source it from reputable dealers.