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Statistics obtained by the Irish Farmers Journal reveal that there has been an enormous increase in forestry planting in Co Leitrim.
The figures, released by the Department of Agriculture to the Irish Farmers Journal, show that total planting by non-farmers in Leitrim has jumped from 11.51ha in 2014 to 97.34ha in 2015.
This represents an increase from 4.2% of the total forestry planted in 2014 to 19% of total forestry planted last year.
Similarly, the total amount of hectares planted in Leitrim has increased from 271.9ha in 2014 to 512.9ha in 2015 – a difference of 188%. This represents a jump from 36 sites planted in 2014 to 68 sites in 2015.
Early national figures for 2016 indicate that hectares planted in Leitrim will increase again this year. However, this is not officially confirmed.
Leitrim jumped from ninth most planted county in 2014 to third last year, and has the second highest afforestation cover (16.7%) in Ireland behind Wicklow (17.7%).
Department refutes forestry figures
The Department of Agriculture has accused Leitrim IFA of misrepresenting facts regarding the level of forestation in the county.
Figures from the Department confirm that the parish of Cloone has 14% forest cover, contrary to the 35% quoted by former IFA executive council representative Maureen Murray recently.
In addition, the figure that forestry creates just one job for every 1,000ac was also rejected by the Department, with their official figures citing one job for every 150 acres.
In a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Andrew Doyle said the Department statistics are correct.
“The statistics we have compiled on this issue are concrete facts and I stand over them.”
Minister Doyle also went on to refute claims made about the negativity around forestry in the county. “If farmers can view forestry from a different angle, I think it can help the community. It can help to augment a farm business and establishing of forestry can help to supplement the farm as a whole,” he said.
Leitrim IFA county chair James Gallagher hit back by saying: “If the Department figures are correct, we would have full employment in Leitrim and we wouldn’t have our young people leaving to England, Australia and Canada.”
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