Tractor market valued at €140m this year
Michael Moroney, chief executive, Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA), said this is a very healthy tractor market, valued at close to €140 million this year.
Tractor licensing figures to the end of the third quarter of this year show that 2,332 new tractors were sold.
This is slightly lower than the September 2003 figure of 2,526, which was artificially higher than normal due to a surge of arrears registrations in January, 2003.
Indications are that the second-hand tractor market is very strong. The number of imported used tractors licensed in Ireland for the first time in the same period was equal to the new tractor figure. It shows an almost 25% increase over the 2002 figures, the best comparable year to use.
Tractor registrations show that 185 new tractors were licensed for use on the public road during September of this year.
This figure is slightly lower than the September 2003 figure but higher than the 2002 figure, indicating consistent growth in the new tractor market.
Meanwhile, more 50 delegates from fifteen European countries attended the 52nd annual CLIMMAR Congress, which the FTMTA staged in Ireland for the first time in 23 years.
The two-day Congress in Naas, Co Kildare, addressed a range of issues from used machinery prices across Europe as well as an outlook on likely market prospects for farm machinery sales into the future.
FTMTA president Simon Cross said the presence of so many important dealers from Europe to the Congress provided a great opportunity for networking by Irish manufacturers.
During discussion on EU tractor legislation issues, delegates heard that there is likely to be a convergence of legislation on tractor and trailer use as well as licensing in EU countries in the near future.
Congress was also told that the farm machinery industry throughout Europe continued to experience difficulties in getting apprentices into dealer workshops and that the CLIMMAR group is planning new initiatives to boost interest in the sector.
CLIMMAR represents farm machinery industry associations in Europe, where there are about 20,800 companies with 164,000 employees and 40,000 trainees. The estimated value of farm machinery sales through dealerships in Europe, now exceeds more than €2.4 billion.
