A total of 420 new tractor registrations were recorded in January, down 12% on the same month last year, according to new figures from the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA).

All counties saw some new tractors registered during January, which is not always the case.

The three counties with the highest levels of registrations were Cork (52 units), Tipperary (43 units) and Kilkenny (26 units).

Sligo and Leitrim were the counties with the lowest level of registrations, with three units each.

The 101hp to 120hp range continued to be the power band with the highest level of registrations, with 108 units or almost 26% of all registrations.

Meanwhile, over 89% of all tractors registered were over 100hp, 64% over 120hp and 23% over 160hp.

Northern Ireland

The Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) figures show that 58 new tractors were registered in Northern Ireland in January, up 32% on the 44 units registered in the same month last year.

Overall UK tractor registrations in January recorded a monthly total of 500 machines, down 13.8% on January 2021.

Loaders

A total of 39 new wheel loaders were registered in January, up almost 59% on the 16 units registered a year previous.

Meanwhile, 104 new telehandlers were registered in January, up 55% on the 67 units recorded for the same month last year. The continued recovery of backhoe loaders sales sustained in 2022, with 19 units registered, up from nine units in the same month last year.