GROWTH APPARENT IN MOST PARTS OF UK

The AEA recently reported that in the UK in the first three months of 2026, the number of agricultural tractor registrations recorded was up by more than a third, compared with the same period last year - with most of that growth occurring in March. 

Now, the Association has released analysis of how trends varied between regions and power bands.

The AEA's agricultural economist, Stephen Howarth, said, "The number of agricultural tractors registered grew in all power bands apart from the top (over 320hp) and bottom (51-100hp) of the range, both of which saw declines of between 14% and 15%. All other broad power ranges saw substantial year-on-year growth, with the fastest rise being in the 241-320hp range."

Growth was also apparent across most parts of the UK, although it was lower in the South and East of England than elsewhere. Indeed, there was a small fall in registrations in the East Midlands and no change in the South East, compared with January to March 2025.

Stephen added, "That presumably reflects the challenging financial position of arable farmers, who make up a larger share of the agricultural sectors in those regions. Registrations generally performed better in regions where livestock farming predominates, with the North of England, Wales and Scotland all seeing sizeable increases. The biggest rise of all was in Northern Ireland, where more than twice as many tractors were registered in the first quarter of 2026 than in the same period last year."