Recent figures released by the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) covering the first six months of the year indicate that 2019 tractor registrations have witnessed a 4% increase on the same period in 2018.

Despite a slight drop in new tractor registrations to 65 in June, from 68 in June 2018, the total number of registrations of new tractors for the first six months is 1,378 units, an increase of 54 units on last year.

The three counties with the highest levels of registrations are Cork, Tipperary and Wexford, with 195, 140 and 96 units, respectively, to the end of June.

The total number of registrations of new tractors for the first six months is 1,378 units, an increase of 54 units on last year

Leitrim is the only county where registrations remain in single figures with six new tractors registered, the same figure as at the halfway point in 2018.

July figures

Gary Ryan from the FTMTA said that the July registration figures will be eagerly awaited as July has become a very important month for tractor registrations since the introduction of the split year registration system in 2013.

He added that a good performance in the current month could see the yearly level of new registrations exceed the 2,000 threshold for the first time since 2008.