Fuel Cost Impact: Agricultural contractors hit with spiralling tractor diesel prices

The price of tractor diesel has more than doubled for agricultural contractor Stephen Mohan, who says that delays with supplies are also adding to the problem,

“This time last fuel was 54c/l for green diesel, now it’s €1.35/l. Credit is an issue, they’re looking for payment within a week when previously we got a month to six week worth of credit. I recently ordered 8000l, I was told it would come the next day. Four days later it came but I only got 3000l, I hope to get the remainder soon. We’re using 7000-9000l a week at the minute but during silage season of May and June we will be using 3000l a day. If we can’t get supplied properly then we’ll be in big trouble.”

The miniscule cut on excise duty for tractor diesel is of little help according to Stephen, who feels that more could have been done to address rising diesel prices earlier.

The 2c/l reduction is useless. Farmers are struggling, we can’t pass on these increases to them. Fuel has been going up consistently over the last six to eight months and nobody has done anything about it, but the war has just increased it.