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The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) welcomes the launch today of the government’s fuel income support scheme. However, the association is keen to stress that this hard-fought relief is only a splash in the pan for farm and forestry contracting, a sector which is becoming less and less viable every year. The implementation of the fuel income support scheme marks the first time in the history of the state that farm and forestry contractors have rec

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors (FCI) appreciates TD Michael Healy-Rae’s contribution while Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for forestry, farm safety and horticulture. His recognition of the key role that Agricultural and Forestry Contractors play in agriculture and his willingness to include our sector in relevant discussions was very much appreciated by FCI. His time in office brought attenti

The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, of the funding for the Fuel Income Support Scheme for Agricultural and Forestry Contractors. The details of the new scheme comes after a series of meetings between Agricultural and Forestry Contractor representatives, and the Departments of Finance and Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, where the impact of the si

Gross is not the same as net, and revenue is not the same as profit! Agricultural and forestry contracting businesses are technical service providers in rural areas throughout Ireland. Customers from agriculture and forestry, as well as from the Government and local authorities, and other sectors, expect modern, reliable machinery, skilled and qualified personnel, with extensive expertise when their work is being carried out. Many, especially enthusiastic agricultural machine

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) convened the inaugural meeting of the Farm Contractors Working Group on Monday (April 20th), marking a significant step forward for the agricultural and forestry contracting sector. Established under the leadership of Minister Martin Heydon, this new Working Group represents a major recognition of farm contractors as skilled professionals within the agri-food and forestry industries. The initiative is expected to del

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is still awaiting the final details of the Government’s Temporary Energy Support Scheme proposals for agricultural and forestry contractors, issued at the weekend. FCI team at Government buildings recently Ann Gleeson Hanrahan, managing director at FCI said: “We understand that the deal will include up to a 20 cent per litre payment to Agricultural and Forestry Contractors as a lump sum based on their fuel usage

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris TD and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon TD met this evening with the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to discuss the impact of rising energy costs arising from the ongoing conflict in the Gulf. The central focus of the meeting was to establish a structured and ongoing process of engagement over the coming days, weeks and months as p

The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland have assembled an experienced team to meet with top government officials in the coming days to discuss the fuel crises. With multiple visits to Dáil Éireann under their belts and decades of experience running successful farm contracting businesses, Ann Gleeson Hanrahan (FCI Managing Director), Norman Egar (FCI National Chair), Richie White (FCI National Secretary & CEETTAR Board Member), and Michael Moroney (FCI Res

After weeks of tireless work for our valued members, the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) have finally been able to secure a meeting with Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris, and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon. The FCI will voice the serious concerns of our members, and propose solutions that government could implement in order to support the agricultural contracting and farming sector during this period of extreme uncertainty

Ann Gleeson Hanrahan, managing director of the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI), attended a public meeting in Portlaoise on Saturday night. The gathering at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise drew around 400 attendees from a range of sectors, including agricultural contracting, farming, and road haulage. Richie White (FCI National Secretary & CEETTAR Board Member), Norman Egar (FCI National Chair), Ciaran Mullooly (MEP), Ann Gleeson Hanrahan (F

Farm and Forestry contractors are facing growing pressure as the cost of diesel continues to climb, with agricultural green diesel experiencing some of the most significant price increases. The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is now calling on Government to insist on greater transparency in fuel pricing amid concerns that rural sectors are bearing the brunt of rising energy costs. Recent figures show that white diesel used in transport was averag

In publishing the FCI Contracting Charges Guide for 2026 the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is satisfied that this averaged price guide continues to provide fair and reasonable guidance for both Farm & Forestry Contractors and their client farmers. However, it must be emphasised that this is only an information guide. FCI produces these guide figures by collating an average figure for each operation from a panel of FCI Contractor Members and furth

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI), the national body for farm contractors, is calling on the Government to extend the current hedge-cutting open period. Exceptionally high rainfall has left many fields inaccessible, and operating hedge-cutting machinery in these conditions risks serious surface and structural soil damage. FCI fully recognises the importance of adhering to environmental and wildlife protection regulations. However, given the excep

The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland is expressing a number of safety and congestion concerns with the narrowing...

The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland has called on the Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commission to...

The value of the Irish Agricultural Contracting sector has now exceeded the €1 billion mark, for the first time ever, based on the latest...

The Association for Farm Contractors has submitted two forward-thinking proposals to the 2025 Open Call for Farmer Safety, Health and...

Last week, the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors caught up with one of their long time members, Gaffey Bros in Moate,...

The median gross hourly wage rate for agricultural machinery operators working in agricultural contractor fleets in Ireland in 2025, is...