The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that the cut in excise of 2c/L of green agri-diesel will do very little to offset the rocketing price of fuel and will be seen as an insult by farmers given the importance of food security.
President of the IFA, Tim Cullinan said: “If the government is serious about encouraging farmers to grow more grass and crops and produce more food, they should suspend all excise duty and carbon tax on agri diesel for farmers and farm contractors.
“If farmers are to sow more crops and grow more grass, it will require increased use of farm machinery in the coming days and weeks. The government must do more immediately.”
Cullinan said farm families are under huge pressure because of the significant increases in their costs.
“The government has to get to grips with the issue and provide meaningful support to farmers,” Cullinan added.
Suspend excise on green diesel and other options
At the meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue last night, Tim Cullinan said the IFA put forward measures to support the growing of more grass for silage as well as more crops.
“The key issue here is to tackle input costs particularly fuel, fertiliser and feed,” he explained adding that the lack of what he described as urgency at government level is “very worrying”.
“At our AGM in January, I called on the minister to pull the sector together to set up a taskforce on inputs. While the minister has belatedly done this, he needs to come forward with concrete funded proposals,” Cullinan said.