‘Cut the price of fuel to help our agri-food sector and rural dwellers’

The minister made the call following this week’s announcement by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, that fuel duty is to be cut by five pence per litre.

Minister, Edwin Poots, is urging retailers to pass on savings to customers, as the agri-food sector struggles with rising fuel prices.

Mr Poots commented: “Energy and fuel are one of the three main inputs cost for agricultural businesses.

“Our food processing and distribution sector is also a very heavy user of energy.

“Since the start of February, there has been a 23 per cent increase in the price of crude oil, which has had a major impact on input costs for farm, food and distribution businesses and adding to the substantial cost escalation pressures that they are facing.

“The Russia-Ukraine conflict is having a direct and damaging impact on our local agri-food sector.

“As prices for home heating oil and farm diesel has reduced, it’s only right and fair the prices at the pumps come down whenever crude oil prices decrease, as quickly as they were raised.

“The Chancellor’s 5p reduction should be met with substantial reductions from suppliers as well.

“I am calling on retailers to cut the price of fuel to help our agri-food sector and rural dwellers, who through no fault of their own, have to travel greater distances making the impact of the current prices even more difficult. “This would be a great relief to these businesses and individuals and would give some respite to the pressures they are feeling right now.

“We must all work together to ensure that food continues to move from farms onto our shelves,” Mr Poots ended.