British farmers are considering holding mass protests in response to the sharp rise in fuel prices in the United Kingdom due to the war in Iran, The Daily Telegraph reported.
According to the newspaper, British farmers do not rule out the possibility of following the example of protesters in neighboring Ireland. There, protesters used trucks and tractors to block the country's only oil refinery, ports and highways for five days, protesting against rising fuel prices. As a result, 600 of the country's 1,600 gas stations were forced to close.
The newspaper reports that farmers' associations will meet next week to discuss possible protests. This comes after diesel prices have already breached the psychologically important £2 ($2.70) per litre mark at more than 50 petrol stations across the country.
According to figures from the RAC, the average price of petrol in the UK rose at a record pace in March. The price of a litre of petrol rose by an average of £0.25 to £1.58 ($2.13), while diesel rose by £0.48 to £1.91 ($2.57).
In late March, the newspaper reported that wholesale suppliers in the English county of Essex and some parts of Scotland had imposed restrictions on the red diesel available to farmers.