33 new combine harvesters were registered in the first seven months of 2024, according to the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA).
Last year, some 62 new combines were registered which was the highest figure since 2013 when 65 new machines were sold.
The latest data shows that the average number of new combines sold since 2012 stands at 43/year.
Up to the end of July, 20 out of the 33 new combines registered were Claas, while there were five John Deere and the same number of New Holland.
Class was also the most popular brand for new combines last year accounting for 27 (44%) out of the 62 sales.
Combine harvesters
The FTMTA data shows that 23 used combine harvesters were registered up to the end of August.
11 (48%) of the used combines were New Holland and a further 5 were Claas.
Last year, 26 used combines were registered, down from 32 in the previous year and 37 in 2022.
Since 2013, there has been an average of 33 used combines registered annually.
The FTMTA said that Irish farmers and agricultural contractors have purchased 559 new combines in the last 13 years, while 396 used combines have been registered in the past 12 years.
FTMTA
Meanwhile, the latest FTMTA Statistics Service Report for August 2024 shows new tractor registrations continuing in a downward trend.
The numbers of imported used tractors and machines, registered for the first time in Ireland, decreased compared with the same month of August 2023.
The August 2024 new tractor market at 111 units was 21% lower compared with the same month in 2023.
There were 1,638 new tractors registered in the year-to-date, a 12% decline compared with the first eight months of 2023.
The FTMTA said that 203 imported used tractors were first-time registered in Ireland in August 2024, one unit more than in August 2023.
For the year to date, 1,906 used tractors were imported and registered for the first time, a 8.8% decline.