The 2019 Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme has opened, following successful feedback from over 600 farmers and forest owners who took part in last year's scheme.

Forestry KTGs are for private forest owners seeking additional knowledge and enabling them to know when and how to carry out forest management activities in a safe manner. KTGs are peer-to-peer discussion groups led by a professional forester and will encourage participants to engage with forestry groups and professionals.

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Forestry companies, consultants and producer groups are invited to organise Knowledge Transfer Groups. Forest owners will then be sought to participate in the groups. Forests across Ireland are fragmented, with the average size just 8.8 hectares.

Announcing the 2019 scheme, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Andrew Doyle TD said: "Forestry KTGs assist with organising management activities into larger management units, with forest owners cooperating to maximise scale. I encourage those participating in Forestry KTGs to continue to meet after the Scheme has ended, either informally or to form a forest owners' or producer group, to continue to reap the benefits of their learning."

(CM/MH)