A total of 216 new tractors were registered in the Republic of Ireland during March, which brings the total number of new tractor registrations for the first quarter to 878 units, down 8.4% on the 959 units registered between 1 January and 31 March 2023.

Figures from the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) show that March 2024 saw 13% fewer registrations than March 2023, when 247 new tractors were registered.

Co Cork continues to deliver the highest number of new tractor registrations, having recorded 28 new registrations during March, taking its year-to-date total to 129 units.

With an equal number of 15 new tractors registered, Mayo and Galway claim joint second place, followed by Tipperary in third having recorded 14 new registrations for March.

However, the year-to-date totals show Tipperary still to claim its place as the county with the second highest number of registrations at 81 units, followed by Meath at 50 units.

The county with the fewest registrations in March was Louth, with only one new tractor receiving a 241 plate.

Power bands

The 161hp to 200hp category was the most popular power band for the third month consecutively, which for March 2024 accounted for 21.7% of all new tractor registrations.

Tractors in the power band lower than 100hp accounted for 10.65% of all new tractor registrations, slightly higher than for the same month in 2023.

Tractors 200hp and over accounted for 12.03% of March registrations. The monthly average horsepower figure for March 2024 was 145hp.

The FTMTA data shows that 245 imported used tractors were registered in Ireland in March 2024, some 59 units less than in February 2023.

For the year to date, 672 imported used tractors have been registered for the first time, an 18.9% decline on the same three-month period during 2023.

The Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) report that 66 new tractors were registered in Northern Ireland in March, just one unit less than what was registered in March 2023. That brings the total year-to-date figure in NI to 161 new units, down 1.2% compared with 163 registrations during the respective January to March period in 2023.

United Kingdom

Looking at the broader UK market, there were 1,939 new tractor registrations in March, meaning the monthly total has trended 12.8% behind that of 2023.

The year-to-date figure from 1 January to 31 March is 13.8% behind 2023 with 2,891 new registrations for the three-month period this year.

However, March 2023 was an exceptionally strong month when compared to the figures for the previous five years.

March 2024 was, in fact, 4% above the average March registrations recorded within the past five years.

The number of tractors over 240hp registered was up by nearly 40%, compared with the first quarter of 2023. These machines accounted for 14% of registrations this year, up from just 9% a year ago.