A total of 4,248 forest owners have been boosted this week with the arrival of their annual forest premium payments.

The successful owners secured a total of €15.4 million after applying for the payment via a paper based application system.

Announcing the premium payments, Andrew Doyle T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said: "My Department is paying out almost €70m in forest premiums to Irish landowners this year with over 88% going directly to farmers with an average payment of €3,500 per farmer. These are a welcome addition to farm incomes helping to diversify those incomes and I would encourage all farmers to consider forestry if they wish to avail of this. This is a guaranteed premium for 15 years with all establishment costs covered and complement the existing livestock enterprise on any farm."

-- Advertisement --

The Minister also announced introduction of a reconstitution scheme for forest-owners whose plantations were affected by the severe drought of 2018.

He added: "I am very aware of the financial hardship experienced by landowners whose trees failed due to the extreme drought of Summer 2018.  In addition to the measures which I previously announced for these landowners, I am now announcing this reconstitution scheme which offers a tiered payment system for private forest owners who replace those dead trees."

Current forest owners can still apply online for their forestry premiums through the IFORIS Internet portal on the Department's Online Services website (www.agfood.ie).

Further announcements on plans for next year will be made in the coming months after the current system is successfully reviewed.

(CM/MH)