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Forty-three farmers have applied to plant trees under the agro-forestry scheme, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.
In 2019 payments covering 6.78ha of newly established agro-forestry were made.
A Department spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal that the applications in the system are at various stages of approval, with some trees already planted.
“This represents about 117ha. We had a target of 200ha by 2020 but the scheme has only really started gathering momentum in the last couple of years,” the spokesperson said.
Most counties have applications in, with some exceptions, but an exact breakdown of the type of farms is not available from the Department.
“Most of them will certainly involve sheep, poultry and silage production, and pig production is the aim of one farmer, who also intends to raise poultry,” the spokesperson said.
Species
The species planted under the scheme will be predominantly oak, sycamore, Norway maple, cherry and birch, the Department said.
“Conifers haven’t been ruled out but with the exception of some Scots pine, the Department are not aware of any applications for conifers.
“It is also possible to plant 15% fruit and nut trees as part of an agroforestry plantation,” the spokesperson said.
A midterm review of the Forestry Programme saw the agroforestry premium increased from €260 to €645/ha and the grant increased from €4,450 to €6,220/ha.
What is agroforestry?
Agroforestry is a land use system in which trees are grown in combination with agriculture on the same land. The system gives landowners the flexibility to graze and even cut silage and hay while growing trees for timber in the same field.
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