Call for forest-thinning programme

A proper forest-thinning programme could increase the value of the final timber crop by as much as 40%, a leading Teagasc forestry expert has claimed.

Teagasc national forestry development officer Jim Reidy was speaking at the announcement of nine regional meetings on forest-thinning, which will be run jointly by Teagasc and the Forest Service between October 28 and November 4.

“Effective thinning is fast-becoming an urgent issue on a significant number of farm forests. Owners are now actively seeking information on the best way of doing the job, the costs and likely markets for thinnings,” he said.