Increased average power of agricultural tractors in 2023

The average power of a new tractor reached 173.9hp, over 5hp higher than in 2022 and beating the previous record set in 2020.

That means the average power has pretty much returned to the historic trend, after dipping below over the previous couple of years, partly due to supply chain disruptions.

Power for agriculture tractors

As a result, the total power of agricultural tractors registered during 2023 topped 2 million hp for the first time since 2012, when nearly 20% more machines were being sold.

In terms of power, growth was mainly seen in the top half of the power range, with 15% more machines over 160hp and 13% fewer between 101 and 160hp.

There was also some growth for machines between 51 and 100hp, although some of that might have been for non-farm uses and the number of machines in that range is relatively small these days.

Registrations in the final three months of last year were down 7%, compared with the same period of 2022, with any growth limited to the very top (over 280hp) and bottom (51-70hp) of the power range.

At the start of 2023, tractor manufacturers were still working through a backlog of orders that had built up in the previous two years due to widespread supply chain disruptions following the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

That meant that, although 2023 was a tougher year for farm finances, registrations of agricultural tractors held up.

Power for agriculture tractors

Registrations started strongly and in the first half of the year were 6% higher than in the same period of 2022.

The number of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) registered in December was 10% higher than in the same month of 2022. However, at 693 machines, the monthly total was below the average for the time compared to the previous five years.

That brought the total number of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) registered during 2023 to 11,816. That is 2% more than the year before and was slightly above the average over recent years.

With the exception of the pandemic affecting the year of 2020, the UK tractor market has been remarkably stable in recent years, with annual registrations falling between 11,580 and 12,040 in six of the last seven years.

Market shares for tractors registered in 2022 show that John Deere are still the leading company with 30.4% a total of 3960 units, out of the 13,017 units total.

These figures cover all power bands, including machines under 50hp. Competition law restrictions mean that AEA is not able to publish market share figures for tractors until 12 months have elapsed.

It is worth noting that the market in 2021 and 2022 was affected by widespread disruption to global supply chains and transportation after the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These may have had an impact on market shares.

UK tractor registrations are taken as a broad indicator of the strength of the domestic market for agricultural equipment.

In value terms, sales of tractors, plus parts and accessories, account for almost half of farmers’ total spend on equipment, which again makes this data series a prime indicator.