Fuel Price Regulator needed as Agri-Diesel rose twice as fast as Road-Diesel in half the amount of time

The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has raised deep concerns with Government regarding the persistent and disproportionate pricing structure of green diesel (marked gas oil) compared to white diesel (road diesel).

FCI are now calling on Government to establish an independent Fuel Price Regulator to provide transparency around wholesale fuel costs, margins, taxation, distribution costs and pump prices.

Following extensive price-tracking of green diesel prices throughout 2026 and particularly since the onset of the global fuel crisis, FCI have identified trends which show a disparity in the market between green and white diesel.

Green diesel prices exhibit a troubling trend characterised by the following three factors:

• Accelerated Volatility: Since the start of the fuel crisis, green diesel prices have consistently risen faster than white diesel prices. Between February and March 2026, green diesel rose 48%, whereas white diesel rose just 10%.

  
  

• Persistent Peak Pricing: Green diesel prices have demonstrated a tendency to remain in and around their peak levels significantly longer than white diesel, failing to react to market corrections in a timely manner.

  
  

• Never returned to pre-war norms: Crucially, while white diesel prices dropped below back to pre-war levels in July, green diesel prices have failed to do so. They remain stubbornly high, never returning to pre-war price benchmarks.

FCI National Chair Norman Egar said:

“Green diesel rose twice as much as white diesel and in half the amount of time, which put an unproportional financial burden on Irish farm and forestry contractors.”

"As the backbone of Ireland’s agricultural and forestry infrastructure, contractors are operating on razor-thin margins," he added.

“While the wider market has seen some relief in road diesel costs, the essential fuel used to plant, maintain, and harvest our nation’s crops remains disproportionately expensive. Our members are essentially paying a premium for a green dye,” Egar said.

FCI argues that this continued disparity is not only affecting the profitability of individual contracting businesses but also threatens to increase the cost of essential services for farmers across the country.

FCI Managing Director Ann Gleeson Hanrahan said:

"When our input costs are artificially kept high, it inevitably puts upward pressure on the rates we must charge for our services".

"We are calling for greater transparency in the fuel supply chain and an investigation into why green diesel continues to diverge so significantly from the pricing trajectory of white diesel," she added.

FCI remain committed to advocating for fair and transparent market practices that support the economic viability of our members and for all of rural Ireland. We are seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister to present the evidence from our members and to agree practical measures that will protect the viability of farm and forestry contracting businesses and, in turn, protect the resilience of the wider Irish agricultural sector.