The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is seeking an "urgent" meeting with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon after green diesel prices hit a peak for the year last month.

The association is publicly calling on the minister to "urgently respond to recent letters requesting a meeting with his department".

The FCI said that, according to its own data, the monthly average price of marked gas oil - informally referred to as green diesel - in 2026 peaked in August.

According to the organisation, the monthly average of green diesel in August was €1.40/L, including VAT, which represents a 49% increase compared to the average price in February 2026 (the last month before the onset of war between the US and Iran), which stood at 94c/L.

The figure for August was also higher than it was when the government introduced the Fuel Income Support Scheme.

FCI national chairperson Norman Egar commented: "Contractors are looking at the current situation and rightly asking when will this end.

"Our members can see no end in sight to these exorbitant prices, and I am regrettably having to tell them that the minister is not answering our cries for help," Egar claimed.

Ann Gleeson Hanrahan, FCI managing director, said: "In April, when the monthly average price of Agri Diesel was €1.34, the government recognised the need to support agricultural contractors and farmers through the crisis.

"The monthly average is now higher than ever and we still don't have any commitment from government that the financial supports that were promised to contractors will actually be given to contractors," she commented.

"We are now simply looking for what we were allocated, because the crisis has only deteriorated," Hanrahan added.

Contractor activity down

The green diesel price increase has been exacerbated by a notable decrease in business activity for contractors due to the recent drought conditions.

Some one in four contactors have spread at least 100t less fertiliser so far this year, compared to the same period of 2025.

The FCI carried out a recent survey of its members on their fertiliser spreading.

This survey found that 67% - around two-thirds - of surveyed contractors have seen a reduction of some amount in the fertiliser they've spread so far this year compared to last year.

25% of respondents - one-quarter - have spread over 100t less fertiliser so far this year.