The opening six months of 2026 have presented a refreshing change to the market outlook for new tractor registrations after an Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) report showed a year-to-date total of 5,955 new tractors registered – a 22.3% increase over the same period in 2025.
Commenting on the increase, Stephen Howarth, agricultural economist for the AEA, said: "Agricultural tractor registrations in the final month of the first half of 2026 continued the trend seen earlier in the year, with numbers higher than at the same time last year but below the seasonal average.
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"A total of 999 machines were logged during the month, 17% more than in June 2025 but 8% below the average for the time of year over the previous five years.
"That brought the total for the first half of 2026 to 5,955, which was up by nearly a quarter compared with the equivalent period last year."
The comparative buoyancy for 2026 is particularly positive considering the registration return for 2025 was the lowest ever recorded in the history of AEA records, with a total of 8,791 machines registered. The association reported that these 2025 figures were likely lower than at any point prior to the Second World War.
Considering the varied levels of farmer confidence to carry out investments, the increase shows that, despite many significant unknowns, farmers are still investing in new tractors, and could reflect sustained prices in livestock and longer-term value of some commodities.
Stephen said: "While that represents a welcome recovery from the very low level of registrations recorded in 2025, it is still 5% below the recent average.
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"Given that farmer confidence remains low and input costs have increased in recent months, the recovery remains fragile and gains could yet slow down in the second half of the year."
In addition to overall registration figures, the AEA also reported the power rating and area distribution of new machines.
The West Midlands, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire showed the highest machine numbers, mirroring the performance seen after the first quarter of 2026, where these three regions also topped the new machine charts, whereas regions with a greater arable focus saw declines in machine registration.
As with any market performance information, it is unlikely to be the result of a single factor. However, the combination of predominantly mixed farms with different income streams, and many holdings being owner-occupied, may have provided greater financial resilience and allowed the opportunity to make new machine investments.
Commenting on the changes, Stephen said: "The only two regions to see lower numbers of tractors being registered so far than in 2025 were the South East and East Midlands.
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"That corresponds with a general trend, which saw slower growth in the south and east of England than elsewhere in the UK.
"The fastest growth was in Northern Ireland, where registrations were up by more than half, and the number of machines recorded there so far this year is already over 90% of the total for the whole of 2025. Registrations in the West Midlands grew almost as quickly, while Yorkshire also saw strong growth."
Registration declines were only seen in the smallest and largest machine ranges. Source: AEA
The strongest growth in power ranges was seen in the 241-320hp category, with declines in the smallest machines of 51-100hp and those over 320hp. This is a continued reflection that the largest arable units are not investing significantly in higher-powered machines, and smaller livestock farms are either not buying new machines or buying new tractors with higher power outputs.
The AEA says that, overall, the trends for different power categories had balanced out, meaning the average power of tractors registered during the first half of 2026 was around 173hp – the same as in 2025.
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It is important to note that the AEA's monthly and annual registration reports only cover tractors from 51hp and above, and so exclude many compact and horticultural machines.
In contrast, the brand-based report, which breaks the figures down by individual brands and manufacturers and is published 12 months in arrears due to competition laws, includes all machines registered as tractors with the DVLA, regardless of engine power.
