The government is being urged to introduce a temporary support scheme aimed at farm fuels as costs spiral.

This is among a series of proposals sent to the government by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).

Last week, the IFA met with Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to discuss the fuel and fertiliser crisis.

While no commitments were given at the meeting, which also included the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI), there was a commitment to consider the proposals put forward at the meeting and to meet again.

Fuels

IFA president Francie Gorman said the farm organisation has now submitted a "series of detailed written proposals" to address spiralling fuel and fertiliser costs.

"We need urgent action; the government are fuelling public frustration by not acting quickly enough.

"Energy and fertiliser costs constitute a massive part of an Irish farmers’ overall cost base, both directly in using fuel and fertiliser to operate farm machinery and grow crops, and indirectly through the use of agricultural contractors, transport and other similar services,” he said.

Gorman said the government has reduced farm diesel prices by just 5c/L.

"This is a wholly inadequate response to an ever-deepening crisis and nowhere near enough to address the huge increase in prices.

"The government must do much more and needs to do it immediately,” he added.

During last week's meeting, the IFA said Tánaiste Simon Harris ruled out any permanent or even temporary reduction in carbon tax.

"We still want the government to reconsider this position," Gorman said.

Proposals

The alternative proposals set out by IFA include the introduction of a 'Temporary Farm Fuels Support Scheme'.

Gorman said this would provide farmers and farm contractors with a monthly support payment to cover the increase in farm and contractor fuel costs, compared with the same month in 2025.

He proposed that this would be backdated to March 1, 2026.

The IFA is also seeking the expansion of the farm diesel carbon tax relief to enable agricultural contractors to qualify.

To address the cost of fertiliser IFA has reiterated its call to suspend the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on fertiliser.

The IFA urged the government to reintroduce the Fodder Support Scheme with a minimum payment of €150/ha to help farmers with the higher cost of making both silage and hay this year.

IFA is also seeking a significant top-up to the existing Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme "in recognition of the substantial increase in crop production costs as a result significant increases in the price of fuel and fertiliser".

In the event of any restriction to access to fuel, the IFA said that fuels used in the transport and food processing must be a priority.

"These proposals represent fair and reasonable steps that the government can take to address the crisis we now find ourselves in,” Gorman said.