Salvage guidelines help farmers minimise losses after Storm Darwin
Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, said it was pleased to see a large number of farmers attending two recent events on managing storm damage in farm forests. The sector is recovering from the devastating consequences of the recent Storm Darwin.
The events were hosted by Teagasc in association with Coillte and the Forest Service, DAFM, agriculture junior minister Tom Hayes, and Gerry Boyle, director of Teagasc.
Teagasc forestry development officer Michael Somers said: “I was very pleased to see so many forest owners attending. This is one of the biggest natural disasters to happen recently in Irish forestry.
“Not since 1997 has the south of Ireland experienced a storm of this magnitude. The main point to be taken from this event is that the crop can be salvaged with good planning.”
Teagasc said the participants appreciated the take-home message that with good preparation and by putting together a step-by-step plan, the risk can be minimised while the value of salvaged timber can be maximised.
During both these events, farmers had the opportunity to avail of the expertise of a range of speakers while the harvesting of the windblown timber continued in the background.
