Sales of new tractors are on the rise. It has been reported that 190 new tractors were registered in the Republic of Ireland during the month of March.
This brings the total number of new tractor registrations, across the country, to 700 since the start of the year.
It has also been reported that the FTMTA (Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association) now says that nearly 90% of new tractors (being sold in the Republic of Ireland) are over 120hp.
Meanwhile, reports also indicate that 258 used tractors were registered for the first time in March. That means a total of 744 used tractors were registered here for the first time since the start of 2017. That equates to an increase of almost 70% over the same period in 2016.
It is also reported that 108 telescopic handlers (or telehandlers) were registered during the first three months of this year – a slightly lower tally than the figure for 2016.
UK tractor sales on the rise
Meanwhile, in the UK, figures from the AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association) show that tractors sales in March of this year were 43% higher than those in March of 2016.
Registrations of agricultural tractors over 50hp reached 1,770 units during March 2017. This brings the total number of new tractors sold, since the start of the year, to 3,024 units. This is 27% higher than the figure for the corresponding period in 2016.
Who tops the Irish car sales league?
Figures from the CSO (Central Statistics Office) for the first quarter (January-March) of 2017 show that 60,753 new private cars were licensed – a drop of 11.1% compared with the first quarter of 2016. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed increased by 60.9%, compared with the same period in 2016.
The total number of private cars (both new and used) licensed in the January-March period in 2017 was 83,609 – an increase of 1.3% when compared with the same period in 2016.
Almost two thirds (65.9%) of new private cars licensed during this period were diesel, while 96.4% of cars sold were in the A/B CO2 emissions bands.
Toyota (6,603) was the most popular make (for new cars) during the first quarter of this year, followed by Hyundai (6,321), Volkswagen (6,241), Ford (6,172) and Nissan (5,223). Together, these five makes represent half (50.3%) of all new private cars licensed.
