Kelvin Fletcher STUNS FANS With BOLD ‘Red Diesel’ Farming Move After Emmerdale Exit – But His TRUE MOTIVE Raises Even MORE Questions
Kelvin Fletcher has given fans a behind-the-scenes look at what he gets up to when he’s not appearing on his ITV reality show Fletchers’ Family Farm (Image: FletchersOnTheFarm/Instagram)
Kelvin Fletcher, former Andy Sugden Emmerdale star, embarked on an unexpected journey, swapping scripted storylines for the realities of farming following his 10-year stint on the popular ITV soap. Drawing inspiration from Jeremy Clarkson, he created his own agricultural reality TV show, initially for the BBC and later for ITV.
Kelvin, along with his wife Liz and their two children, continues to share updates from their Peak District farm in Derbyshire as fans eagerly await the third series of Fletchers’ Family Farm on ITV, reports the Express.
In a recent post, Kelvin shared a significant advantage of farming: access to red diesel. Functionally identical to regular diesel, red diesel is distinguished by the addition of red dye, indicating its lower fuel duty, making it significantly cheaper than regular diesel.
However, using red diesel in vehicles without a licence can result in substantial fines from HMRC for evading fuel duty tax. On Instagram, Kelvin explained: “What is red diesel? Red diesel is essentially the same as regular diesel (white diesel) but with one big twist: it’s dyed red.”
Kelvin continued: “This dye isn’t for show – it’s there so that government inspectors can easily identify it, because red diesel is taxed at a much lower rate than road diesel.”
He concluded: “This fuel is specifically designated for off-road use, meaning it’s a no-go for your average car on the motorway, but it’s a lifeline for industries like agriculture, construction, forestry, horticulture.
“The idea is simple: these sectors rely heavily on diesel powered machinery, and red diesel helps them keep costs down while fuelling essential equipment like tractors, combines and diggers.
“Farmers are allowed to use red diesel because their vehicles often don’t touch public roads or only do so incidentally – think driving a tractor between fields. Here’s the bit that really sweetens the deal for farmers: Current price: 66 pence per litre.
“VAT: Just 5% (compared to the usual 20% for most other goods). That makes it significantly cheaper than road diesel, which typically hovers around £1.40- £1.60 (and that’s before standard 20% VAT).”
ITV has confirmed Fletchers’ Family Farm will return for a series 3. The programme is produced by Daisybeck Studios, the same company behind The Yorkshire Vet.
