Farmers impacted by ash dieback cannot be expected to “invest in a dying crop”, the IFA has warned.
Ahead of a major conference in Thurles this weekend on the disease, the IFA accused the Department of Agriculture of “completely contradicting best practice” by encouraging farmers to continue to invest and manage plantations that are already infected with ash dieback.
“There is no scientific evidence that thinning infected plantations is beneficial in the long-term when ash dieback is present, particularly in Ireland where they were planted in single-species blocks and are considered a ‘high risk’ category with regard to the severity of the impact from ash dieback,” said IFA forestry chair Jason Fleming.
“Where dieback is severe, research suggests that the best approach is to harvest the remaining commercial timber before value depreciation and to replant the area with other tree species,” he maintained.
“Despite the research, Ireland’s policy through the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme is to support farmers to continue to invest and manage a crop that will ultimately succumb to the disease.
“This is unacceptable and completely contradicts best practice,” Fleming said.
“Farmers want to move on, they do not want to continue to invest in a dying crop,” he insisted.
The IFA is seeking that:
All infected plantations are eligible for a 100% reconstitution grant to support farmers to clear-fell and replant with tree species that satisfy their management objectives. Forest premiums are paid on the replanted land for 20 years according to the forest type established.The option not to replant, without penalties, must be available under certain circumstances.According to the 2017 National Forest Inventory, ash accounts for 25,280ha or 3.8% of the total forest estate, of which 17,000ha have been afforested with ash since 1990.
While the Government announced an increase in the grant for clearing severely diseased plantations from €1,000/ha to €2,000/ha, it is unclear what overall budget has been allocated for this purpose.
It is estimated that clearing all the ash plantations could cost in the region of €100m.
The IFA claimed that the current supports were completely inadequate and did not compensate farmers for the financial losses incurred as a result of the ash dieback disease.
Farmers impacted by ash dieback cannot be expected to “invest in a dying crop”, the IFA has warned.
Ahead of a major conference in Thurles this weekend on the disease, the IFA accused the Department of Agriculture of “completely contradicting best practice” by encouraging farmers to continue to invest and manage plantations that are already infected with ash dieback.
“There is no scientific evidence that thinning infected plantations is beneficial in the long-term when ash dieback is present, particularly in Ireland where they were planted in single-species blocks and are considered a ‘high risk’ category with regard to the severity of the impact from ash dieback,” said IFA forestry chair Jason Fleming.
“Where dieback is severe, research suggests that the best approach is to harvest the remaining commercial timber before value depreciation and to replant the area with other tree species,” he maintained.
“Despite the research, Ireland’s policy through the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme is to support farmers to continue to invest and manage a crop that will ultimately succumb to the disease.
“This is unacceptable and completely contradicts best practice,” Fleming said.
“Farmers want to move on, they do not want to continue to invest in a dying crop,” he insisted.
The IFA is seeking that:
All infected plantations are eligible for a 100% reconstitution grant to support farmers to clear-fell and replant with tree species that satisfy their management objectives. Forest premiums are paid on the replanted land for 20 years according to the forest type established.The option not to replant, without penalties, must be available under certain circumstances.According to the 2017 National Forest Inventory, ash accounts for 25,280ha or 3.8% of the total forest estate, of which 17,000ha have been afforested with ash since 1990.
While the Government announced an increase in the grant for clearing severely diseased plantations from €1,000/ha to €2,000/ha, it is unclear what overall budget has been allocated for this purpose.
It is estimated that clearing all the ash plantations could cost in the region of €100m.
The IFA claimed that the current supports were completely inadequate and did not compensate farmers for the financial losses incurred as a result of the ash dieback disease.
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