Coillte Premium Partners launch

Landowners of high-quality, commercial forest crops, where the Forest Service payments have expired, or are due to expire, are targeted by a new private forestry partnership product launched by the national commercial forestry company, Coillte.

Coillte Premium Partners was recently launched by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, and Coillte Chairman John Moloney and Chief Executive Fergal Leamy.

Through the partnership Coillte, will manage all aspects of the private forest, including the harvesting and sale of the timber, while the landowners retain ownership of the land.

The forestry owners will receive an annual payment for their crop, while Coillte will own the harvesting rights to the crop.

In addition, the landowner will receive a lump sum payment when the crop has been clear-felled.

Forest cover in Ireland is currently at 11%, with over 150,000 hectares of privately owned forests planted, following state incentives including payment of planting grants and annual payments for 15 to 20 years.

According to Coillte, this private timber resource, which is now reaching maturity, is heavily fragmented, with about 21,000 individual owners.

Coillte says the Premium Partners arrangement offers a sustainable approach to mobilising this private forestry resource, giving private forestry owners direct access to Coillte’s forest management expertise, operational capacity, planning systems, certification and sales channels.

At the launch, Mr Creed said: “I am delighted to launch this innovative scheme which supports Irish forest owners and creates new value in the rural economy, through the mobilisation of timber from privately owned forests.

“Coillte has been managing Irish forests since its inception, and this is an opportunity for private forestry owners to enter a partnership with an experienced and trusted partner to optimise the value of their crop, as Coillte support the development and growth of the export led timber processing sector in a way that is supportive of Ireland’s national afforestation policy.”

Coillte CEO Fergal Leamy said: “Coillte Premium Partners will bring private timber to market in a way that will support the sustainable growth of the Irish forestry industry, provide our customers with security of supply, and ensure the sector continues to provide employment opportunities in rural communities.”

Coillte manage 440,000 hectares of forests, and sell over 2.5 million cubic metres of timber every year.