In 2023, a mere 1,651 hectares of new forestry were planted in Ireland, a far cry from the target of 8,000 hectares per year set out in the Climate Action Plan (CAP). This revelation comes from the ‘Annual Review and Outlook for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 2024’ report released on Thursday, December 4. The report highlighted Roscommon as the leader in afforestation with 189 hectares, closely followed by Galway at 139 hectares. The delay in state aid approval for the new €1.3 billion Forestry Programme, initiated in September 2023, was pinpointed as the primary reason for the meager levels of new forests established last year. This starkly contrasts with the historical average of 8,957 hectares of forestry planted annually in Ireland between 1950 and 2022, indicating a significant drop in planting rates.
Despite Ireland’s forest cover being at its highest level in 350 years, the nation lags behind its European counterparts in average forest cover. Only 11.6% (808,848 hectares) of the total Irish land area is under forestry, in stark contrast to the EU average of 39%. The forest estate in Ireland comprises 69% conifer and 31% broadleaved species, with public forests managed by Coillte representing 49.1% of the total estate, leaving private ownership to account for the remaining 50.9%. Notably, farmers have been responsible for 82% of private lands afforested between 1980 and 2023, with their efforts resulting in 47% of the new forests established in 2023, a significant increase from the 23% recorded in 2022.
In 2023, individuals aged 60 years or older undertook 57% of the new forestry planting, and a reported 61% of the total area receiving premium payments was owned by individuals in the same age bracket. Since 1980, over 24,000 private landowners have received grant aid to establish forests, with an average size of 8.6 hectares for private grant-aided afforestation. The year 2023 marked a milestone as the proportion of broadleaves planted (54%) surpassed conifer tree planting for the first time in the country, signifying a shift in afforestation trends.
The planting of 710 hectares of native woodland in 2023, a marginal increase of 7 hectares from the previous year, is expected to rise in the near future due to the inclusion of a new annual broadleaf target of 50% in the Forestry Programme 2023-2027. This program also offers enhanced financial incentives for native forest planting, aiming to restore ancient woodland through sustainable forest management practices. Measures such as the Deer Tree Shelter, Hare and Deer Fencing scheme have been introduced to safeguard crops from damage and promote further broadleaf planting.
Timber production remains a significant contributor to the Irish economy, currently standing at approximately 4.5 million cubic meters per annum. In 2023, an additional 78 kilometers of private forest roads were funded, reflecting the anticipated increase in timber and wood harvests in the coming years. Ireland exported forestry and wood-based products worth €647 million, comprising 1,435,864 tonnes, to over 80 countries worldwide in 2023, showing a 17% decrease in value and a 7% reduction in volume compared to 2022. The United Kingdom remains the primary importer of Irish timber products, accounting for 79% of the value and 85% of the volume exported, followed by the Netherlands (6%), Belgium (3%), France (3%), Germany (2%), Italy (1%), and the United States (1%).
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) invested €71.2 million in Irish forestry development in 2023, with 89% allocated to afforestation grants and premiums, and the remaining 8 million directed towards infrastructure construction, woodland improvement, and environmental assessments. DAFM noted the overall health of the forestry estate as “relatively good overall,” despite challenges posed by harmful organisms such as ash dieback disease and Phytophthora ramorum outbreaks in Japanese larch. In December 2023, the discovery of Pseudips mexicanus, commonly known as the Monterey Pine Engraver, in Ireland marked the first identification of this bark beetle in the country. The department swiftly activated a contingency plan and site-specific action plan to address the incidence, an effort that has extended into 2024.
