What tractors did Finnish farmers buy last year?
In the third in our occasional series looking at tractor markets in other countries, we head north to the patriotic buying patterns of Finnish farmers.
How many tractors over 45hp were sold in 2009 in Finland?
2851
How does that compare to 2007 and 2006?
It was much lower. 3708 tractors were sold in 2008 and 3900 in 2007
How is the tractor market holding up so far in 2010?
It’s still dropping. Total estimate for 2010 is around 2500 units.
How many combines were sold?
330 – higher than UK farmers might expect
What are the six best-selling tractor makes?
Valtra is top with 47.3%, then it’s John Deere at 17.6%, MF at 14%, New Holland 10.9%, Case-IH 5.2 % and Fendt 1.6%
What are the best-selling individual tractor models?
Far in front as the favourite is the Valtra A92 with 289 units sold in 2009. Second favourite is the Valtra N141 (177 units) and Valtra N111 (140 units). In fact, in the top 10 of favourite models nine are made in Finland including one MF, the 4455, which came in at number 10.
The only imported model in the top 10 in 2009 was the JD 6430 (9th place.)
What is the average tractor hp?
Just under 130hp
How much has that gone up over the past two to three years?
Last year’s figure was a little lower that the previous year’s. In general, there’s been a levelling off over the last two to three years.
What does a litre of tractor diesel cost?
60-65 cents/litre including a purchase tax (VAT) of 22%.
Is there an equivalent to red diesel?
Farmers can claim back the energy tax portion of the fuel cost which currently equals 3.75 cents/litre. The total reclaimable must be over k50 when claims are made at the end of each year.
Is there an annual roadworthiness test for tractors?
Some 99% of new tractors are registered for use on the public roads when sold as new. No further test is required after that and there’s no road tax on agricultural tractors. However, where tractors are used for non-farming purposes on the road, such as by haulage contractors or by road maintenance companies, then standard full-price diesel has to be used as fuel (as in the UK).
Do farm trailers on the road have to have air brakes?
The Finnish government has made no moves in this direction although larger trailers have truck-standard brakes anyway.
What is the minimum age you can drive a tractor?
There is no official minimum age for driving a tractor off the public highways. A youngster can apply for a tractor learner licence as soon as they reach 15.
