£5m of machinery under the hammer

• Gross sales soar 40% year-on-year

• Export market is major destination

• Buoyant demand for used machines

More than £5 million of second-hand farm machinery was sold by auctioneers Cheffins in one of the world’s largest monthly machinery sales.

Export demand saw year-onyear gross sales up by 40% at the Cambridge machinery auction on 6 February at Sutton, near Ely. Individual prices were stronger than the same sale last year

For the second month run ning, about half the lots sold went overseas. Buyers in attendance came from Australia, Canada, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt and the Middle East – as well as from the UKand Europe.

Cheffins director Joe Page said: “This is the most success ful February auction we have hosted in the last five years, as a combination of the return of the stock helped to push up prices.”

Cheffins has seen a marked increase in the number of sales to overseas buyers since October 2022, with many bidders looking to make the most of the weak pound. Sales have also been buoyed by stock shortages and long lead times for new machin-

“This has ensured UK buyers are competing with purchasers the world over for some of the best second-hand machinery on offer,” said Mr Page. “In addition, overseas buyers have become increasingly confident in the ability to import machinery.

“Three years post-Brexit, rules and regulations are becoming easier to navigate. Our ability at Cheffins to provide the correct certification and also offer a wash-down service, allows buyers to purchase machinery at our sales with confidence.”

The next sale is on Monday 6 March at Cheffins Machinery Sale Ground, Sutton, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2QT.

Highlights of the sale included a 2003 John Deere 9520 (£90,500) [above], a 2019 John Deere 6175R (£80,000), a Case Puma 240 CVX (£72,000) and a Cat MTC875E (£72,000) [left]

Sales rising for tractors

The number of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) registered in the UK in January was 644 machines – nearly 30% higher than the figure for the same month last year and the highest total for the opening month of the year since 2019.

Registrations over the last four months are now 10% higher than they were a year before supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic.

Longer lead times for tractors and machines are starting to ease, says the Agricultural Engineers Association.