Agricultural survey results: December 2019

Machinery

Information on machinery is only collected for larger farms. Data on equipment such as field crop or fruit sprayers, drainage and ditching equipment, milking parlours and cattle weighing crushes are also collected.

Tractors: 40,500

In 2019, there was a small increase in machinery levels on farms. The numbers of tractors and machinery for cultivation remained stable. Machinery for harvesting went up by five per cent, and transport increased by 14 per cent.

This increase follows a longer term downward trend in machinery levels. Since 2009, machinery for cultivation has fallen by 18 per cent and machinery for harvesting has fallen by 34 per cent.

This fall is likely to be due to hiring of machinery or participation in machinery rings.