FALLS IN TRACTOR SALES SEEN ACROSS THE UK

Last week, the AEA told us that UK agricultural tractor registrations for the first nine months of 2024 were 15% lower than in the same period last year.

The number of machines registered in the third quarter was down by an even larger 20%, compared with a year earlier. Now, the Association has released analysis of how those trends varied by region and power band. 

At regional level, the biggest year-on-year declines during the first nine months of 2024 were in the South of England. Agricultural economist at the AEA, Stephen Howarth, explained, "Percentage falls become progressively smaller as you move northwards across the country, with Scotland, the North of England, North Wales and Northern Ireland all seeing smaller falls than regions further south. That might reflect the relatively strong prices for livestock products this year, compared with crops, which have also been hardest hit by the adverse weather."

He continued, "The North-South divergence was less apparent in the third quarter, though the North West of England saw a small increase and Scotland and Northern Ireland smaller decreases than other regions."

In terms of power bands the data shows the number of tractors being registered this year has been lower across most of the power range. "The exception," says Stephen, "is for the largest machines, over 240hp, where nearly 15% more have been recorded this year. That segment accounts for 16% of tractors registered this year, up from 12% in the first nine months of last year."

Stephen concluded, "At or below 240hp (but over 50hp), 19% fewer machines were logged in January to September 2024 than in the same period last year."