The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is recommending that contractors should increase their 2025 prices by 20% to survive the current crisis.

The FCI has said that huge uncertainty still remains for contractors despite the Fuel Income Support Scheme.

Contractors have been hit with multiple cost increases over the past year with the recent fuel prices increases being “the straw that broke the camel's back,” the FCI has said.

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Prior to the war in the Middle East, farm contractors were still going to have to raise their prices for the 2026 season due to other increasing costs apart from fuel, according to the FCI.

For example, the auto-enrolment pension scheme and an increase on minimum wage have seen contracting business owners face significant increases in their wage bill.

Additionally, lubricating oil have gone up 20%, AdBlue and servicing parts such as filters have increased by 25%, while insurance and electricity increases of almost 10% have come at a time when new machinery costs are soaring.

During this temporary crisis solidarity between farmers and contractors will be key for both groups to survive, the FCI has stressed.

The FCI also stated that calls for contractors to “pass on” the Government’s income support scheme are unhelpful and incendiary during this time of crisis.

“Agriculture and forestry contractors and farmers have a symbiotic relationship in rural Ireland. For both groups to survive it is important that farmers understand the uncertain nature of the Income Support Scheme,” Ann Gleeson Hanrahan FCI managing director stated.

“The scheme is offering payments of up to 20 cent per litre, however, if the scheme is oversubscribed, the actual payment to contractors will be significantly less than 20 cent per litre. Contractors will not know the amount they will receive until the scheme is closed and the calculations are made by the Department.

“FCI [is] recommending that, in order to survive the crisis and have a sustainable future for their business, their members should increase their 2025 prices by 20%” she concluded.