The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is calling on the Government to provide an immediate supplementary payment under the fuel support scheme, for green diesel, to farmers and contractors.
The majority of the €85m fuel-support fund that was put in place in April remains unspent, IFA president Francie Gorman commented.
He said the Government must act now and release these funds directly to farmers and contractors facing high fuel prices.
“We cannot wait for the Budget in October," he added. "The money is there. It must be paid out to farmers and contractors now.”
Financial burden
The continued volatility in energy markets is resulting in escalating fuel prices and is placing an intolerable financial burden on farmers and contractors, IFA farm business chair Bill O’Keeffe said.
Green diesel has risen by approximately 20c/l in the past two weeks, reaching €1.73c/l today and rising, he added.
This represents an 86% increase in the price of green diesel compared to the price in February of this year, before the conflict in the Middle East began.
“Green diesel is a fundamental input across all farming systems and for agricultural contractors," he said. "The unprecedented increase in green diesel is driving up the cost of every operation on farms, from grass and maize, silage, harvesting to slurry spreading and tillage autumn cultivation.”
O’Keeffe warned that, without immediate intervention, the viability of some tillage farmers and contractors, in particular, will be further undermined.
“The funds are already available, the Government should act now,” he said.
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