The most recent registration figures reported by the FTMTA Statistics Service show continuing improvements in the market.

There were 104 new tractors registered in August which is a 24% increase on the same month of 2010. A total of 1,388 new units have been registered in the first eight months of 2011 which is a 14% increase on the same period last year. A similar level of registrations over the last four months of the year to that seen in 2010 would bring the total for the year very close to 1,500 units.

Cork had the highest level of registrations in August with 14 units while there were 12 new units registered in Dublin. Cork also has the highest level of registrations for the year so far with 148 units while Wexford and Galway had 93 and 90 units registered respectively.  

Sales of telescopic and back hoe loaders also show continued signs of recovery. There have been 75 telescopic loaders registered during the first eight months of 2011 as against the 73 units registered during all of 2010 and 46 backhoe loaders were registered as against the extremely low level of 22 units in all of 2010.

 The figures from the FTMTA Statistics Service show that an additional 6 new combine harvesters were registered during August bringing the total for the year to 38 which is an increase of 124% on last year. Kildare saw the highest number of new combine registrations this year at 7 machines while 6 new combines were registered in Cork and 5 in Louth.