Just 818 machines were registered in October, according to the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA). This was an 18.8% reduction compared to the same month in 2023 but was slightly above the five year average, only the second time this has happened in 2024.
It brings the total for the year to 9,042, which is 15.6% lower than the same period last year, and 12% below the average.
According to the AEA, the market is being affected by the low level of confidence among farmers, caused by lower prices, high input costs, poor weather and political uncertainty.