DEAR SIR: I am working with Dr Ian Short from Teagasc on a project related to trees on farms.

The Masters student working on the project, Rachel Irwin, has prepared an online questionnaire for dairy and drystock farmers.

I hope that as large a sample of farmers as possible can complete the survey.

In recent years, there has been increased emphasis on the use of tree planting on farms as a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy.

Within agricultural landscapes, trees can also act as important sources of shelter for livestock while increasing nutrient recycling and providing a supplementary fodder source.

As such, they can provide both direct and indirect benefits to all farmers, but especially dairy and drystock farmers. A potential initiative of the post-2020 CAP is that every EU farm should have 1ha of forest as either small woodlands, linear hedgerows, windbreaks, or individual trees.

A survey has been set up as part of a MSc research project with Teagasc and University College Dublin (UCD) to analyse dairy and drystock farmers’ perceptions of, attitudes towards and willingness to plant trees on farms. The results of this survey will be used to aid policy and help create guidelines for policymakers.

We would like to invite dairy and drystock farmers who read the Irish Farmers Journal to anonymously participate in this survey by going to https://tinyurl.com/fkj3n85z.