It is just past midnight in a field of mown grass near Ballinahown, Co Westmeath.
Ultan Duffy and his colleagues are taking a short break after a long day's work and a long night ahead. Mr Duffy is an agricultural contractor who, among other things, bales grass into round silage bales for farmers around the midlands.
After a weekend of fantastic work conditions, the weather is about to change and the pressure is on.
"There is talk of rain coming and there are 25 acres to be baled here and there is 20 in another job and the farmer wants it baled dry," Mr Duffy says.
"This year, the silage has to be right, because everything is so expensive and now weather is against us again."
After a chat, the men return to their tractors, massive affairs, drawing huge round baler machines that are made in Co Mayo.
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Lit up front and back, top and bottom, the vehicles seem somehow like ships on a green sea, pools of light in the black pitch, as they range across the massive field.
While expected rain is on Mr Duffy's mind, he has lots of other worries too.
Two words sum them up: Cost increases.
"What hasn't gone up? Everything has gone up, diesel, plastic, parts and labour. There is nothing that has not gone up at this stage," he said.
He singles out diesel cost as being very significant.
"The diesel lorry comes to the yard once a week. It's now €6,000 a week. Nearly double what it was last year," Mr Duffy said.
The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors agrees green diesel costs are a huge issue for contractors at this very busy time of the year.
"Last December, it cost 75c per litre. Now it is €1.47," said Micheal Moroney, CEO of the Association.
"Even in the last three weeks it has risen from €1.23 to today's price.
"General road diesel has gone way up too, but it has not doubled in price like green diesel."
Agricultural contractors carry out close to 90% of the heavy mechanised work on Irish farms and they are being forced to pass on costs he says.
That is the case with Mr Duffy too, although he says farmers are also feeling the pinch.
"There is only so much you can pass on. We can't keep passing on because they are feeling price increases as well," he said.
He added that farmers are paying quicker now, for which he is grateful.
Meanwhile as the silage season continues, with very high levels of agricultural activity on farms and public roads, schools are breaking for the summer holidays.
The Government is reminding parents to keep children safe on farms.
"June and July are the two most dangerous months of the year on farms. That coincides directly with school holidays" according to farmer and Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety Martin Heydon.
"I am appealing to parents to bear in mind farms are very dangerous places and over half the fatal incidents involving children under-18 happen during the summer months."
