TRACTOR REGISTRATIONS UP AGAIN IN MAY

According to data released by the AEA the number of agricultural tractors registered in the UK during May was again higher than during the same month last year.

The association says the total of 859 machines was 7% more than in May 2025 but did drop below the mean for the time of year, after two above average months. That brought the total for the year to date to 4,956 tractors registered, up by nearly a quarter, compared with the opening five months of last year and just 4% below the five-year average.

Agricultural economist at the AEA, Stephen Howarth, explained, "If that rate of growth is sustained for the rest of the year, the market could bounce back to over 10,000 units this year, after dropping to a post-war low of 8,791 in 2025. However, the rise in costs and uncertainty faced by farmers since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz may weigh on tractor registrations later in the year. Therefore, it's not yet certain whether that benchmark will be hit."