Diesel debate takes centre stage in the new LAMMA 2022 speaker zones

New for LAMMA 2022 will be two speaker zones where visitors will be able to drop in for updates on the latest industry developments and issues, plus have a chance to put their questions to industry experts.

One of the biggest draws within the programme is expected to be a daily session led by NAAC and HMRC on the changes to rebated fuel being implemented today (April 1).

Entitlement for rebated diesel, or red diesel, is being withdrawn from various industries as the Government pushes for the development of cleaner and greener alternatives.

And the big change applies to vehicles which are used off-road. These will no longer be automatically entitled to use red diesel. Instead, use of the rebated fuel will be based entirely on what the vehicle is used for.

Fortunately, agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fisheries are among the industries which have retained the entitlement to use red diesel.

However, the fuel issue gets a little cloudy for those operating mixed-use businesses.

Jill Hewitt, chief executive of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC), says:“There are two things to consider when working out if your business can use red diesel.

“The first is that any work you do is for an agricultural purpose. This is not necessarily the same as just doing work on agricultural land. The operation you are doing must be of benefit to the land/livestock.

“You can also use rebated fuel in agricultural vehicles when: cutting verges and hedges which border a road; clearing snow; gritting and assisting any clear-up following flooding.

“Secondly, once a legitimate use has been established, it is important to then confirm the vehicle you are intending to use is also allowed to use red.”

Changes

To help bring you up to speed with the changes and answer all your questions, speakers from HMRC’s Fuel Duty Policy Team and NAAC will be leading a session at 1pm on both days of LAMMA in one of two new speaker zones.

LAMMA Show is free to attend, make sure to register for your ticket via www.lammashow.com

Other topics being discussed at the show include connectivity, farm security, second-hand machinery and getting the most of kit, new product developments, legislative updates, farmer health (mental and physical) and careers in the ag machinery sector.

We will be announcing the full speaker programme in the next few weeks. Visit www.lammashow.com for all the latest show updates.