The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has today (Monday, February 3) published its contractor charge guide for 2026 with a 4% increase in rates due to soaring costs.

The FCI said this averaged price guide continues to provide fair and reasonable guidance for farm and forestry contractors and their client farmers.

However, the association emphasised that this is only an information guide and actual prices may vary considerably.

FCI

The guide figures are produced by collating an average figure for each operation from a panel of FCI contractor members, along with a member survey across all of the association’s membership, during October 2025.

Due to local and sectoral circumstances, the actual guide charge will vary between regions, across soil types, distance travelled, size of contract undertaken, size and type of equipment used as well as the scale of the work done.

Norman Egar, FCI national chair, said the agricultural and forestry contracting sector is now "facing significant structural change".

He said some contracting businesses are now operating across numerous counties as operators deal with new increased cost challenges brought on by wider scale farms.

"These are additional increased costs, as well as managing the new extra costs due to structural changes in Irish farming, must be factored by all agricultural and forestry contractors into their 2026 operational costs," he said.

Egar said the sector "remains committed to providing our farmer clients with cost-effective and sustainable machinery services provided by skilled operators".

"Our FCI Contractor Charges Guide 2026 provides a guide to the modest increases that our members must achieve in order to deliver on that commitment," he added.

Contracting charges guide

FCI said that it is aware that many contractors make individual arrangements with their client farmers regarding diesel.

The guide charges do not reflect this market trend and such agreements may make a significant difference to contracting charges.

The following is an abridged version of the guide (all prices include VAT at 13.5%):

Baling

Bale, wrap, stack and move (inc. plastic 4 layers, extra layers additional cost) €26-28/bale;
Bale, wrap, stack and move (excl. plastic): €18-19/bale;
Baling silage (4x4): €10-10.50/bale;
Large square bales of silage (6x4x3) €20-21/bale;
Hay - small square bales: €2.50-3/bale;
Hay - round bales (4x4): €8-9/bale;
Hay - cutting/mowing: €31-33/ac;
Straw - round bales (4x4 and 5x4): €8-9/bale;
Straw - (8x4x3): €15-17.50/bale.

Cultivation

Min till cultivation (per pass): €44-47/ac;
Disc Harrowing: €45/ac/run or €150/hr;
Ploughing - stubble: €59-60/ac;
Rolling: €17.50/ac or €74/hr;
Plough and one pass: €108-118/ac;
Plough, till and sow grain: €130-135/ac.

Drilling/sowing

Conventional grain/fertiliser: €61-66/ac;
Conventional seed only: €52-56/ac;
Direct drill: €70-74/ac;
One pass - seed and fertiliser drill: €68-74/ac;
One-pass grass reseeding: €74-79/ac;
Grass seeding -quality job, seeding and rolling (not including seed): €309 -315/ac.

Fertiliser application

Broadcasting - 2 bags per acre: €55/tonne or 118/hour;
Broadcasting - general: €55/tonne or 118/hour;
Bulk spreading: €55/tonne or 118/hour;
Lime spreading: €10.50-12.50/tonne.

Spraying

Low volume - 83 l/ac: €15.50-18/ac
Liquid Nitrogen: €110/hour

Combining

Cereals and Oil Seed Rape: €82-88/ac;
Cereals, Oil Seed Rape and chopping: €95-102/ac;
Grain transport (up to 15 kilometres): €12-14/tonne;
Beet harvesting: €190-198/ac.

Hedgecutting

Hedgecutter - flail: €76-82/hr;
Hedgecutter - sawhead: €95-102/hr;
Mulching hedges: €102-113/hr

Silage

Mowing - conditioner: €31-33/ac;
Raking/Tedding/Rowing: €18-20/ac;
Precision chop grass silage - complete job (in pit): €198-210/ac (extra for long draw);
Whole crop silage - complete job (into the pit): €217-222/ac (extra for long draw);
Zero Grazing: €102-106/load (will vary with capacity and distance);
Topping Grassland: €27/ac or €70/hour.

Slurry and muck spreading

Muck loading wheeled loader: €82-88/hr;
Muck spreading - 10 tonne: €82-94/hr;
Muck spreading - 14 tonne: €110-123/hr;
Slurry agitation: €124-147/hr;
Slurry spreading - 1500 gallon tanker: €82-88/hr;
Slurry spreading - 3000 + gallon tanker: €120-127/hr;
Umbilical spreading (set up charge - laying out and reeling in €100/hr): €198-210/hr;
Dribble Bar - 2500 + gallon tanker: €108-114/hr;
Trailing Shoe - 2500 + gallon tanker: €114-127/hr.

Plant and tractor hire

Digger hire (3CX): €83-86/hr;
Tractor and dumper - 14 tonne: €90-102/hr;
Tractor Hire (150 to 200hp tractor and operator): €87-92/hr:
Wheel Loader - 10 tonne: €102-114/hr;
Teleporter: €83-86/hr;
Mini-digger: €47-52/hr.

Forestry:

Timber Harvester Small: €160-174/hr;
Timber Harvester Large: €173-198/hr.

The Irish agricultural contractor sector now accounts for annual farmer spending on mechanisation services of over €975 million.

The FCI said this reflects an increase in the value of the services provided by its members, of 73% between 2015 and 2024.

The Teagasc National Farm Survey for 2024 showed that Irish farmers spent an average of €7,228 on contractor services in 2024, down from €7,340 per farm in 2023.

The 2024 data also shows that contractor charges across all Irish farms accounted for 14.48% of total direct costs, while machinery overhead costs were 36.58% of total farm overhead costs.