Researching more end uses will allow for more markets

In a time of austerity it is fair to ask “is there anything economical about growing broadleaves”? After all, money is tight.

Rotation lengths of broadleaves are in excess of 50 years. Growing them is difficult and could the land be put to a more economical use? But what makes any product economical? The answer is very simple. Has it an end use?

Broadleaves are diverse, with many uses. To say that firewood is the only use for small diameter logs is incorrect. Recently, I was talking to a farmer who was using his newly-cut oak and sycamore first thinning to produce forest fungi. This food product is considered a delicacy on the continent but alien in Ireland. A log can produce fungi for five years. At the end of this time it can be still burned. Developing such an enterprise is labour intensive. However, the rewards are there.