Following the release of the final figures for 2022 tractor registrations, the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) has released a more detailed breakdown by power and region.
The average power of tractors registered in the UK was 168.4hp, slightly higher than the 2021 figure of 166.3hp but below the record of 171hp, which was recorded in 2020. The widespread disruptions caused by Covid could have had an impact on this, but the AEA reports that there are signs that the long-term upward trend of tractor power is slowing.
Looking at individual power bands, the main decline was for machines below 140hp, which saw 13% fewer machines registered in 2022 compared to the previous year. Above this, registrations increased year-on-year, although the largest machines over 260hp (making up just 6% of total registrations) also saw a decrease.
Most English regions saw a decrease in registrations, apart from the Home Counties (including London), Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands.
The three regions which saw the highest number of registrations – the South West, East of England and the North West – all recorded year-on-year declines, and the sharpest fall overall was in the South East.
Scotland and Wales also saw decreases in the number of tractors registered, however, Northern Ireland recorded a slight increase. This was the result of a big increase in the final quarter of the year, a period in which UK registrations were more than 5% higher year-on-year, reversing the trend seen earlier in the year.
