The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) launched a pre-election survey of the main political parties in a bid to gauge the levels of support contractors can expect to get in the next government.

The survey includes questions on whether parties support a Department of Agriculture register of contractors, the provision of lower excise rates on marked hydrogenated vegetable oil for agri contractors and the ringfencing of carbon tax revenue for contractors collected when they purchase fuel.

Another question relates to whether parties would allow agricultural contractors access to grant aid under Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS III).

FCI national chair John Hughes said that the farm and forestry contracting sector accounts for around 20,000 jobs but does not receive Department funding.

Unrecognised

“The sector had a turnover of more than €900m in 2023, but remains unrecognised and without any government or Department of Agriculture support.

“We have received recognition from some political parties in their pre-election manifesto documents and this reflects the work that FCI has done in raising awareness of the importance of the agricultural and forestry contractor sector in Ireland.

“We now need more political effort to get the sector fully recognised so that our members can plan for the future investment and training needs of this important agricultural industry,” Hughes added.