Farmers are being replaced by other investors in the growing forestry sector, according to new data released by the Department of Agriculture for 2016.

Non-farmers planted 2,343ha of forests last year, accounting for more than one third of afforestation. By contrast, non-farmers represented under 15% of new plantings in 2015 and between 4% and 6% in the five years before that.

Farmers planted 4,156ha of forests in 2016, an acceleration in the decline observed since 2010.

In three of the four counties with most afforestation (Cork, Clare and Leitrim), non-farmers now plant more than 40% of new forests. In Cavan, also a county with significant afforestation, non-farmers planted just as much land as farmers last year.

Although he acknowledged increased non-farmer activity in the forestry sector, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed told the Dáil last week that “non-farmer investors do not account for a significant portion of new forestry planting” and argued that their demand for land was just “one of many factors” affecting land prices.

The future of Irish forestry

Surge in forestry planted by non-farmers

The number and area of forests planted by investors who are not farmers nearly trebled last year, while afforestation by farmers continued to decline.