Latest analysis by the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) has revealed a spike in registrations of the highest-powered tractors in the opening months of 2024.

It comes as overall tractor registrations were reported to be 14% lower in the first three months of 2024 compared with the same period last year.

Breaking down registrations of tractors by engine power shows there was significant growth for sales of the largest machines, with the number of tractors over 240hp registered up by nearly 40% compared with the first quarter of 2023.

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These machines account for 14% of all registrations so far this year, up from just 9% a year ago.

Below this level, but over 50hp, there were nearly 20% fewer tractors registered, with a similar rate of decline seen across most broad power bands.

Tractor sales by region

Regionally, the sharpest declines in registrations were seen in the south and west of England, with a particularly notable drop of 29% in the South West – a significant fall for a region that typically registers the second-largest number of tractors.

Smaller declines were also recorded in the eastern part of England and in Scotland, which was down by 10%, Wales, which was down by 4%, and Northern Ireland, which had a 1% decline.