Plan woods to boost returns
A well-thought out forest management scheme will reap lucrative profits for the owner, writes Joe Barry
Planned forestry has a place on every farm and can add greatly to overall profits, but it must be appro- ached as a long-term business that requires constant supervision and a proper understanding of what it takes to grow good trees.
When properly managed, trees can help keep the farm budget in balance and deliver a substantial annual, tax-free return. The shelter they provide for livestock and crops has a real cash value, and well-laid out woodlands will add to the value of a property and produce saleable timber. There is always a market for top-quality trees, but the second-rate tree is like a bullock with poor conformation -- no one wants him. He will grade badly and probably die in debt.
Good trees from sites with easy access are always in demand and the thinnings can either be sold or used as fuel for home heating. Given the huge income differences between well-managed and neglected woodland, it is hard to understand the reluctance of farm forest owners to learn more about forestry management.
At present, there is a tendency among farmers to forget about their woods while the premium income is arriving each year. This is a grave error. Like any crop, trees need care and attention throughout their
lifetime. This care will pay dividends when the premiums end and hard cash is most needed. Teagasc, the Forest Service and COFORD run many open days and demonstrations to enable us to learn how to manage our trees, but in general, these are very poorly attended. The potential value of a well-managed final crop is huge, yet this can be lost by mismanagement -- especially in the early years. As timber growers, we need to learn and understand the needs of individual species and how best to keep them growing strongly. It is our land that is being planted and our money that is paying for it, so why leave all the decisions to others? No one would take on a livestock or tillage enterprise without learning how to do so successfully. Forestry should be approached in the same manner. Anyone with established woodland or just thinking of planting should attend as many field days as possible and continually ask questions in order to learn how to make the most of this valuable asset.
It is important to plan carefully at least a year in advance of planting, and ensure that the sites chosen are accessible and will benefit the remainder of the farm.
Plantations
The next task is to choose the species that will best suit those sites. There are many awful plantations around the country that were planted with little thought other than to maximise premium income, and these will never pay in the longer term. Some of these poorly established broadleaved plantations will prove to be a liability, as will the conifers planted in places so remote that harvesting and removal may never take place.
Farmers who plant trees now have the advantage of being able to profit from the knowledge that has accumulated since the beginning of the current scheme. This knowledge is especially valuable in relation to planting trees that are of known and proven provenance and how to mix species in a manner that will help them benefit each other.
Trees thrive in the shelter of others and, if this is not available, then quick-growing species such as Alder or Sitka Spruce will create the proper environment for later additions of broadleaves or further conifers. We must begin to take a longer term view of our woodlands and perhaps initially plant pioneer species, such as Birch, Alder or Sitka Spruce, and then for the second rotation use the shelter provided at woodland edges to establish other, potentially more valuable, trees. We need to start planting edge-of-woodland species, such as hazel, thorn and holly, and others, plus further wind-hardy species that will remain after harvesting. Their presence will minimise the shock that occurs during harvesting and reduce the environmental damage and changes to the landscape that are the inevitable result of clear fell.
The current afforestation scheme provides a unique opportunity to establish a lasting source of income on our farms, but it is essential to look forward and plan accordingly.
Visiting the forestry stands at the National Ploughing Championships is a great way to learn more and evaluate the many options available. It is well worth taking the time to talk to the staff of Teagasc, the Forest Service, forestry consultants and contractors. All of them will have useful advice and will visit your farm if you ask them. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.
- Joe Barry
