According to the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA), the number of tractors registered in the UK during December was back to above the level seen in 2020. This followed a brief dip in figures during November.
At 883 machines, the monthly total was 13.8% higher than in the same month during 2020 and was 16% higher than the 2015-19 average. It was the highest figure registered in December since 2017, where figures were inflated by pre-registrations ahead of new regulations.
It brings the 2021 total to 12,017 units. This is 15.8% higher than the 2020 total but is close to the size of the market in each of the three years prior to this. The AEA suggests that registrations would have been higher still were it not for disruptions to global supply chains. The subsequent rise in delivery lead times has meant that machines due for delivery in 2021 have been delayed into 2022.