Farm margins eaten up by high fuel costs

Inflated fuel costs continue to place pressure on family farm businesses, adding significantly to production costs.

An Irish Farmers Journal survey on Wednesday morning found that quotes for red diesel were sitting around the 113p/litre mark excluding VAT.

As recently as two months ago, red diesel prices in NI averaged 94p/litre and this time last year, they were around 68p/litre ex VAT.

Average quotes for white diesel on Wednesday were sitting at 192p/litre. August quotes averaged 174p/litre whilst July was as low as 157p/litre. This time last year white diesel cost 133p/litre.

Typical

Assuming a typical sized farm in NI uses 200 litres of red diesel and 100 litres of white diesel per week, the higher prices have added £56 onto weekly costs since August. When compared to October 2025, weekly costs are up £149, which equates to nearly £600 per month in extra expenses.