Wallace urges forest funding take-up

FORESTRY Minister Mary Wallace has urged farmers to consider forestry as an alternative land use and to avail of the Government’s afforestation funding package.

She said she was concerned only 10% of Irish land is under forestry as against the EU average of 35%.

“At present the planting figures of approximately 10,000 hectares per annum falls well short of what is needed to achieve critical mass of planting up to 2035,” she said.