Irish Forest Owners, a national producer organisation has been established to provide a national network for forest owners in Ireland.

Chair of the Irish Forest Owners, Nicholas Sweetman, said the organisation will focus on supporting local producer groups in the areas of timber mobilisation, afforestation, education and training.

“A key element of this is having a functioning licence system and we support IFA’s emergency plan to resolve the current crisis,” Sweetman said.

Licenses are critical

IFA president Tim Cullinan has welcomed the establishment of the group, and its aim of supporting owners in the management of their forests, improving market access, and increasing the bargaining power of forest owners.

“The IFA has advocated for many years the importance of establishing a national network of producer organisations for forest owners,” Cullinan said.

“Producer organisations have proven to be one of the most effective ways to create efficiency and scale in the supply of timber from small fragmented family forests that we have in Ireland.”

Many members of the Irish Forest Owners are also members of the IFA farm forestry committee.

Committee chair Vincent Nally said: “Co-operation will enable small farm forests to be managed more economically, and to take advantage of new value-added opportunities in the bioeconomy.

“To avail of any of these opportunities, they must first be able to get a licence to manage their forest.”