Contractors and farmers attend meeting on fuel prices in Portlaoise
Agricultural contractors and farmers were among a large crowd who gathered for a public meeting on fuel prices in Co. Laois last evening (Saturday, March 28).
The meeting at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise attracted up to 400 people across multiple sectors, including farming, contracting and haulage.
On Tuesday (March 24), the government announced cuts to mineral oil tax (MOT) for petrol, diesel and green diesel and a cut to the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) levy.
However, farm organisations and some politicians said the measures will not go far enough to help farmers after fuel prices spiked in recent weeks due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Many of those who attended last night's meeting said the hike in fuel prices would seriously impact farmers' silage costs in the coming weeks.
The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) previously said that the cost of harvesting 100ac of silage ground with a full self propelled unit has risen by €2,855 plus VAT per day.
Fuel costs
Some of those at the meeting were in favour of staging road blockades at Dublin Airport and along the M50 motorway.
Midlands North-West MEP Ciaran Mullooly, who spoke at the meeting, told Agriland that it was agreed that a committee would be established following the event.
A representative from the committee will then put forward a list of demands from the meeting to the government.
Mullooly said there was "a lot of anger" in the room and an overwhelming view that stronger measures are needed to deal with the current high fuel prices.
"The reality is, you're only as good as your last milk cheque or your last mart cheque in this business.
"We know farmers are losing hundreds and thousands of euros on cattle already again now, based on the prices that we were getting this time last year, and we know that the milk price has gone down, left, right and centre.
"So it seems to me, the government has to respond," he said.
The MEP proposed that Irish government should follow the approach taken by France to effectively scrap all excise duty on green diesel.
Mullooly said Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon should ask for the immediate suspension of carbon tax on fertiliser and agri-fuel during a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AgriFish) in Brussels tomorrow.
"I would be urging on the Irish government to put in a direct subsidy to reduce costs, whether per tonne of silage or acre per farmland, if this goes on," he added.
Contractors
Ann Gleeson Hanrahan, managing director of the FCI, who addressed last night's meeting, told Agriland that the escalating costs are not sustainable.
She said the main call from the meeting was the suspension of the carbon tax for the duration of the war in the Middle East.
"People's desperation was clear to be seen. We all know as contractors, construction and haulage that this is impossible to survive with the diesel increases.
"Already we have seen in agriculture, there's a 20% rise on lubricants, there's a 25% rise on AdBlue and other service parts. This is only what has come to light at the moment.
"There is a serious knock-on effect from the price of diesel. Everyone is talking about just the price of diesel, but it's more than that," she said.
Ann Gleeson Hanrahan said the finances are not there in the contracting sector to absorb these extra costs.
The FCI is due to meet with Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris next week.
Costs
Sinn Féin TD Natasha Newsome Drennan, who is a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food, described last night's meeting as "powerful".
"What I heard was clear - people are at breaking point. Hauliers, farmers, contractors and families cannot keep absorbing these costs.
"Waiting three months for rebates is simply not good enough. People need support now," she said.
