Forestry Reports

Forestry Council Report July 2020

Market Review 

  • The Irish timber market appears to have escaped the impacts of COVID-19 to date, there has been no decline in demand and the market remains buoyant, with a strong demand for roundwood.
  • The delays and shortages in felling licences and the resulting shortage in harvesting operations may have assisted in maintaining strong demand for roundwood.
  • Timber markets Q2 2020 (April to June):

All prices (ex VAT) quoted roadside for conifers.

Product TypeLength DiameterPrice € /tonne
(m) (cm) (Roadside) 
Pulp3 m< 7cm28 – 32
Stakewood1.6 m> 8cm < 15 cm40 -44
Palletwood2.5 m> 14 cm46 – 50
3.1 m52 – 57
3.4 m
3.7 m56 -60
Sawlog4.9m> 20cm75 – 80
5.5 m
  • The following is the Forest Service May report:
    • 350ha of new forests were established, bringing the afforestation programme up to 1,233ha so far this year. This is a decrease of 27% on the area planted from this date last year.
    • €51,726,097 in forest premiums have been paid.
    • 43,248 linear metres of new forest road have been constructed, with a grant aid cost of €1,738,329. This is an increase of 15% in linear metre construction on this date last year.
    • 149 new felling licence issued in Mary bring the total licences issued to 714, this is a 76% decrease on the number of licences that issued in 2019.

Activity since last National Council

  • The new Reconstitution & Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback) (RUS) was launched. The scheme supports (i) site clearance (in advance of reconstitution) or partial clearance (in advance of underplanting), (ii) reconstitution and (iii) underplanting.
    • The underplanting support is a new element to the scheme, which involves the partial replanting of the ash plantation following partial clearance. All GPCs are available to the farmer including agro-forestry.
    • The manage options available to farmers under the scheme are restricted as follows:
  • The grant rates available to farmers are as follows:
  • The committee will be lobbying the new Minister to include a compensation element in the ash dieback scheme; farmers who planted ash as a pension and have had their investment devastated must be compensated.

Any EU/COPA developments

  • IFA participated in the webinar on The Role of Agriculture and Forestry in the EU Climate Law. Click here for an overview of the discussion.

Upcoming issues

  • IFA to meet with Department to discuss their project plan for dealing with forestry licences backlog and other issues.
  • Finalisation of Forestry Programme post 2020 submission, following feedback from the committee.
  • Finalisation of Producer Organisation Scheme proposal.
ChairmanVincent Nally
ExecutiveGeraldine O’Sullivan

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