Figures from the Department of Agriculture show a 65% (511ac) and 58% (524ac) jump in the level of non-farmer planting in Cavan and Roscommon respectively last year.

Farmers and non-farmers are entitled to the same level of tax-free forestry grants. Non-farmer planting has been a particularly thorny issue in Leitrim, with groups such as Save Leitrim appealing against 1,139ac of planting last year.

Figures show a 32% dip in non-farmer planting in Leitrim, which could indicate that non-farmers have been put off planting in Leitrim and moved their interests to neighbouring Cavan and Roscommon.

The price of land in Roscommon is the third cheapest in Ireland at an average of €6,009/ac, followed by Cavan at €6,605/ac. Leitrim has the lowest average at €5,222/ac.

Overall, the level of planting in 2018 was at historically low levels at just 9,660ac. This represented a 27% drop compared with 2017 and is one of the lowest levels of planting on record. This will disappoint some in the farming community who see forestry as a route to create a larger carbon sink to mitigate Ireland’s emissions.

According to the EPA, agriculture accounts for 33% of the national carbon emissions.

Another worrying figure is the drop-off in farmer planting, with 41% fewer farmers planting in 2018. This means that farmer and non-farmer planters were on a par at 309 and 315, respectively.

Overall last year, the highest amount of planting occurred in Roscommon (958ac) followed by Kerry (798ac) and Cavan (770ac).

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