New tractor sales continue to recover

New tractor sales continued to recover in August, according to latest figures issued by the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association.

The month of August saw the registration of 114 new tractors which was 6pc increase on the same month in 2019. The total number of new tractors registered from January to August this year stands at 1,626, a year on year decrease of some 8pc.

The FTMTA said that given the dramatic decreases seen during the second quarter, with year on year registrations down by as much as 13% at the end of May, the improving situation is to be welcomed and seems indicative of an underlying stability in the market.

Cork, Tipperary and Wexford remain the three counties with the highest levels of registrations for the year thus far with 225, 116 and 110 units registered respectively. These three counties represent 28pc of all registrations so far this year. Monaghan with 12 units and Leitrim with 13 units are the counties with the lowest levels of registrations to date.

The horsepower band with the highest level of registrations during the first eight months of 2020 is the 101 to 120hp with 511 units or over 31pc of all registrations. Over 88pc of all tractors registered in the period under review had over 100hp, 57pc had over 120hp and nearly 30pc had over 150hp.

A further three new combine harvesters were registered during August, bringing the total for the year so far to 38 units as against 45 in the full year of 2019. An additional six used imported combines were also registered during August to bring the total of such machines to 20 units.