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Farmers with plantations over 14 years old have been advised by IFA farm forestry chair Pat Collins to prepare to thin their forests and make the most of the rising timber prices.
“The economic recovery across western Europe has led to a growing demand for sawn timber,” said Collins. “The increasing demand to construct homes using timber-frame techniques and the scarce availability of wood on the world market, has led to increasing timber prices.”
According to the Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI, pallet timber prices have risen for the 19th consecutive month, while the UK Poyry timber index reports a near 35% cumulative increase on some grades since the first quarter in 2016.
Collins said that the prices being paid to farmers for pallet wood in Ireland have remained relatively static in the same period.
He said price increases must be passed onto farmers and he stressed the need for farmers to familiarise themselves with the market prior to selling timber to ensure they are being paid a fair price for their product.
“The availability of pallet timber is likely to be the most significant feature of the timber market in 2018. There is increased competition for pallet and small saw logs that is creating additional pressure on timber availability.
As biomass demand grows, increasing volumes of small saw logs - small diameter logs traditionally used in pallet timber production - are being diverted to the biomass sector,” Pat Collins said.
He continued that it is a good time to be a forest owner. He encouraged all farmers who have a forest with trees approaching 10 metres in height to cut inspection paths so the forest can be assessed and they can start to prepare to harvest by applying for a felling licence and forest road grant.
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