European tractor sales declined by 5% in the first six months of this year, according to the European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA).

The association reported a total of 69,260 agricultural tractors were registered in the first six months across 30 countries, a fall of 5% when compared with the same period last year.

However, the fall in sales could be a result of a peak in tractor registrations last December which was caused by the introduction of new EU legislation coming into effect on 1 January 2018.

CEMA notes it is difficult to draw clear conclusions as the rise in tractor registrations in December was significantly higher than the decline in the first half of this year.