The retail and distribution of farm machinery is allowed to continue operating as an essential service under the current Covid-19 restrictions, the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) has confirmed.
A statement from the association to its members said: “Under these continuing restrictions, the retail and distribution arms of the farm machinery trade are allowed to operate as essential services in relation to the supply of parts; servicing; repairs and installation; and delivery of machines.
“The Irish agricultural machinery manufacturing sector is also allowed to continue to operate as an essential service,” the FTMTA confirmed.
“Perhaps unexpectedly, given the ongoing crisis and associated restrictions, March registrations were only down 2 units on the corresponding month of 2019,” the statement said.
It added: “Last month saw 238 new tractors registered, bringing the total for the first quarter to 896 units, which is exactly the same level as at the end of March 2019.
“In reality, retail activity at farm machinery dealerships was continuing relatively normally, albeit with precautions in place, until the restrictions announced by the Taoiseach on Friday, March 27…the wider situation is unlikely to have had much of a bearing on March registrations of tractors,” the FTMTA outlined.
Outlook
In terms of the outlook for the sector, the association said that there was a need to be “realistic”.
“While our sector is more fortunate than many other businesses in that we are allowed to trade, within restrictions, and are in a position to keep life in the business, we must be realistic about what is to come,” the FTMTA stressed.
While the major focus remains, correctly of course, on dealing with the public health crisis, this will be followed by an economic crisis that is likely to be worse than anything that most of us can remember.
“While agriculture and service industries…may be be saved some of the worst impacts, we would be foolish to think that it will be business as usual,” the association warned.