Conifer timber sales less competitive in province

The strength of Sterling is making conifer timber sales in Northern Ireland much less competitive.

For most of the past few months, the Euro was languishing at around 71p against the pound, which made the purchase of timber grown here in Northern Ireland an extremely unattractive proposition. Sawmills and other timber purchasers are understandably sourcing most if not all of their timber south of the border.

However, we would need to see the Euro strengthen further in order to change this situation around completely.

But the good news for private woodland owners is that trees are not a perishable commodity. They will continue to grow, adding value to the land they were planted on. Moreover, the medium to long term outlook for timber sales remains extremely positive.

The New Year has seen the introduction of the Forestry Expansion Scheme in Northern Ireland. This is the updated support measure that has been introduced to encourage private tree planting locally. Obviously, this is all new to both Forest Service and farmers, wishing to plant trees. As a result, there is an onus on officials to ensure they take as flexible an approach as possible, when it comes to assessing the first tranche of applications, submitted in early January.

I welcome Farm Minister Michelle O’Neill’s commitment to the expansion of the private forestry sector here in Northern Ireland. But this must be translated into effective tree planting initiatives on the ground. And, it is in this context that Forest Service will play a crucial role.

The initial application period for the Forestry Expansion Scheme was far too short. Looking ahead Forest Service must give more notice of their intention to push ahead with application periods. Moreover, farmers and landowners must be given sufficient time to prepare their submissions.

Recent months have seen the government in the Irish Republic highlight the planting of trees on marginal land as a key response to the impact of global warming. And there is no reason why the Executive here in Northern Ireland cannot take a similar approach, where tree planting is concerned. After all, the exact same climatic conditions and farming practises hold sway on both sides of the border.

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