A total of 698 tractors were registered in November 2013, an increase on the 558 sold in the same month last year, according to industry body the Agricultural Engineers Association.

However, though the end of this year has seen a slight rally in tractor sales, 2013 as a whole hasn’t been one to write home about.

Last year saw 13,951 tractors sold but with a current tally of 11,892 tractors and just one month to go, only the cheeriest optimist would expect the year-end figure to match the 2012 performance.

Why the drop? Patchy yields caused by poor germinations and sustained slug/pigeon/rabbit attacks in autumn 2012/spring 2013 were probably the main reason, plus lower wheat prices this harvest.

The better news is that the second half of this year saw some healthier tractor sales figures, especially in the key September sales month.