Nearly 6.0% more new tractors were registered in the UK during the first half of this year compared to the same six months in 2022.

The 6,777 (50hp+) tractors registered during the first six months of this year were boosted by a strong June where registrations increased more than 20% to 1,128 units. In terms of power, most of the growth during the first six months was for tractors above 160hp, which accounted for 3,598 units and nearly 53% (44% in 2022) of the total market. In contrast, the number of machines below 160hp was 11% lower than in January to June 2022.

Given the supply chain disruptions which the industry has experienced recently, these trends may be driven mainly by the availability of tractors of different powers, so might not accurately reflect current demand, reports the AEA.

Source: AEA

The largest increase was in the 161-200hp segment, registrations of which were up to 1,853 units; nearly 41% higher than the first six months of 2022. The number of 241-320hp tractors registered increased by 36.5% to 475 units, while the 320hp+ market was up by nearly 33% to 232 tractors.

At the lower end of the power scale, tractors from 101-120hp fell back by 16% to 731 units (874 in 2022), while the number of units from 141-160hp fell by more than 22% from 1,327 units in 2022 to 1,033 in the first half of this year.

At regional level, growth in registrations was mainly found in the south and east of England. In percentage terms, the highest increase was in the Home Counties (+20%) but that region accounts for only a small share (5.6% and 378 tractors) of the national total.

The biggest rise in the number of tractors registered was in the south west (+12% to 1,042 units), which continues as the most important region in the UK accounting for 15.4% of the total market.

Eastern England is the second most important region (977 tractors/14.4% share of the market), followed in third place by Scotland (793 units/11.7% of the total).

Incidentally, registrations rose more slowly in Scotland (+4.0%) and were lower than a year before in Northern Ireland, Wales and north west England.

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