Tractor registrations in August have witnessed a 6% increase in comparison to the same month in 2019, according to figures from the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA).

The figures show that 114 new tractors were registered during August, up from 108 units in August 2019. This brings the total number of new units registered for the eight months to 1,626, which is a drop of 8% on last year.

“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,” explained FTMTA chief executive Gary Ryan.

Cork (225), Tipperary (116) and Wexford (110) remain the three counties with the highest levels of registrations, representing 28% of all registrations so far this year. Meanwhile, Monaghan (12) and Leitrim (13) are the counties with the lowest levels of registrations to date.

The horsepower band with the highest level of registrations during the first eight

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months of 2020 is the 101hp to 120hp bracket, with 511 units, over 31% of total registrations. Over 88% of all tractors registered in the period under review had over 100hp, 57% had over 120hp and nearly 30% had over 150hp.

Meanwhile, in the UK, figures show that 620 units were registered in August, a drop of 7% on August 2019. The August figures have demonstrated the smallest year-on-year decline since March, at just 7%.

Total UK tractors registrations for the first eight months of 2020 are running at 6,683 units. This represents a drop of 26.7% on 2019 figures, a drop of nearly 2,500 tractors.

The Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) have blamed the trend on the lingering effects of the adverse weather conditions earlier in the year and the COVID-19 pandemic.