With a sizeable 386 new tractors registered in July, figures from the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) show that a total of 1,907 new tractors have been registered in the Republic up to the end July.

Registrations in July were up 64 units on the same month last year, while new tractor registrations for the year to date are currently running 26% higher than the same period last year.

With 1,907 new tractors registered in the first seven months of this year, registrations are just three units off hitting the total figure recorded in 2020. Meanwhile, registrations are up 395 units from the 1,512 units registered in the same period last year.

Since the introduction of the split registration year in 2013, July has become a significant month for new tractor registrations. It is also quite often the month with the second highest level of registrations after January, a pattern which we see repeated this year.

In fact, tractor registrations in July 2021 represent the highest month for new tractors recorded by FTMTA to date.

County by county

The three counties with the highest number of registrations over the first six months were Cork (245 units), Tipperary (153 units) and Wexford (120 units). Longford and Leitrim had the fewest registrations, recording just 21 units each up to the end of July.

The 101 to 140hp range is the horsepower band with the highest level of registrations with 932 units, accounting for 49% of all registrations in the first seven months. During the period in question, just over 10% of all tractors registered were of 100hp or less, 33% were between 141hp-200hp, while just 8% were over 200hp.

Northern Ireland up 57%

Figures from the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) show that there were 36 new tractors registered in Northern Ireland in June, up on the 29 units registered in the same month last year.

This brings the total year to date figure to 396 units, up by a sizeable 57% on the 252 units registered for the same period in 2020. The 2021 Jan-Jul figure is much closer to the same period in 2019 when 385 new tractors were registered.

UK registrations up 7%

Figures from the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) show that 1,019 new tractors were registered in the UK during July.

The monthly figure was 7% higher than that in July 2020. However, it was actually below average for the time of year.

The AEA added that given the extremely strong figure for June, this may just be a case of monthly fluctuations, although supply chain challenges linked to COVID-19 have affected the sector, as with most of manufacturing.

The total number of tractors registered during the year in the UK to date has reached 7,864 machines, 23% higher than by the same point last year and 7% above the five-year average figure for January to July.