Sharp Rise in Diesel Prices Raises Concerns Over Price Gouging and Disproportionate Impact on Farm & Forestry Contractors.

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 averaging around €1.72 per litre in Ireland prior to the recent outbreak of war in the middle east. While bulk green diesel, widely used in agriculture and forestry operations, was averaging around €0.97 per litre including VAT.

The white diesel price has now risen to €1.88 on average. This 16-cent increase represents a 9.3% increase in price.

During the same time period, bulk green diesel rose to an average of €1.33 per litre including VAT, based on an FCI member survey. This 36-cent increase represents a 37.1% increase in price.

“While the absolute price of white diesel remains higher due to road taxes and duties, the rate of increase for green diesel has been significantly sharper, raising concerns among contractors and farmers,” said FCI National Chair Norman Egar.

The wider results of an FCI survey show that bulk green diesel prices were ranging from 0.95 to 0.99 in week 9 of 2026. The same survey in week 10 of the year found that bulk green diesel prices ranged from 1.17 to 1.50.

Disproportionate Increase 

Over the past number of years, green diesel prices have climbed from roughly €0.70–€0.80 per litre including VAT to around €1.01 per litre including VAT, representing an increase of approximately 25–40% depending on supplier and region.

By comparison, white diesel has risen from roughly €1.65–€1.68 per litre in recent years to around €1.73 per litre, representing a much smaller increase of around 3–5% in the same period.

“This disproportionate increase is particularly concerning for agriculture and forestry sectors, where diesel is an essential input for everyday operations including harvesting, planting, and contractor work. For many rural contracting businesses and farms fuel costs now represent a major portion of annual operating expenses,” said Norman Egar.

The scale and speed of recent increases have also prompted concerns about possible price gouging within the fuel supply chain. Farm and forestry contractors often rely on bulk deliveries from a limited number of suppliers, leaving them with little ability to shop around or negotiate prices. “At FCI we are concerned that this lack of competition in certain rural areas may allow prices to rise more quickly than justified by wholesale market changes,” said Norman Egar.

FCI is now calling for:

• Greater transparency in diesel pricing across suppliers

• Stronger monitoring of fuel price movements to ensure fair market practices

• Measures to ensure farm contractors and farmers are not disproportionately impacted by rising energy costs. 

• Support for Farm Contractors during this period of unprecedented price increases to help address rising operating costs and ensure contractors are able to deliver essential services to farmers. 

With fuel costs feeding directly into food production, forestry management and contractor services, there are growing warnings that continued price increases will ultimately lead to higher costs across the entire supply chain, including food prices for consumers.

“As energy markets remain volatile, Norman Egar, national chair of FCI stressed that fair pricing, transparency and the protection of rural contractors must remain central priorities to safeguard the sustainability of Ireland’s farming and forestry sectors.”