The Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) released the June statistics for tractor registrations last week, completing numbers for the first half of this year.
During this period 6,420 machines were registered, 6% fewer than in January to June 2021 although higher than the five-year average.
The breakdown by power ranges shows that the decline was concentrated in the 81-150hp sector and the over 260hp range. Between these, there was a small increase in registrations, while there were also more tractors registered in the 51-80hp range.
Given the widespread issue with supply chains, these trends potentially reflect the availability of tractors, as much as the demand for them.
Only one area of the country saw a substantial rise in registrations. The Home Counties makes up just 5% of the national total but includes a high proportion of machines in the lowest horsepower bands.
The West Midlands and North West also saw small rises but all other areas recorded numbers below the 2021 figures. The sharpest fall was seen in the Eastern half of England, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland saw similar year-on-year declines to the UK as a whole.
