New plan to improve forest management and profits
All private forest owners in the region are invited to a meeting in the Parkway Hotel, Dunmanway, next Monday night at 8pm, where plans to optimise returns and create forestry jobs will be discussed.
“There are over 500 private forests in west Cork. The average plantation size is approximately eight hectares. The private planting industry has been thriving for almost 20 years, and now the industry is entering a new phase,” said West Cork Forest Producers group chairman, Tim McCarthy, who invited other forest owners to join.
Most private owners are managing their plantations in isolation. Their scale and structure limits access to the skills and expertise required to manage forests. It means limited access to markets for harvested timber. “Timber is like any other farming crop. Drains need to be maintained, thinning needs to take place at the right time, maintaining access is crucial and pruning will result in a better product,” said Tim McCarthy.
“These important tasks are frequently neglected, as growers typically don’t have access to the forest contractors and professionals required, or don’t have the confidence to do it themselves. Meanwhile, there is a strong timber-processing industry in west Cork, producing everything from fencing posts to high-grade construction timber, and this industry is limited in its development by a scarcity of raw material. Most processing companies are depending on Coillte Teoranta for their feedstock, and Coillte cannot keep pace with demand.”
The West Cork group hopes to change this. “By creating a large, cohesive group where contractors and customers are looking at one, large, well-managed forest, we have the ability to improve forest management and improve returns for individual forest owners. It’s a real win-win option,” said McCarthy. The group has been supported by Teagasc, and has approached West Cork Development Partnership, who are supportive. The group committee is chairman Tim McCarthy, secretary William Melville, and treasurer Abraham Kingston.
