The number of Irish farmers participating in a forestry grant scheme has declined almost 90 per cent in six years.
In 2014, afforestation grants were given to 950 farmers but in 2020 the number of participants fell to 100.
Grants of up to €6,220 per hectare are given to farmers under the scheme to plant and maintain forestry.
Over the past decade the number of farmers planting trees with the Government grant scheme to improve Ireland’s level of forest coverage grew by one per cent.
Last year just over 4,000 hectares of forestry was planted with the Government aiming to increase the percentage to 18 per cent in 2046 by planting 8,000 hectares of forestry a year.
Andrew St Ledger from the ecological charity Centre for Environmental Living and Training said farmer participation is key to planting more forestry, which is needed to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and improve our environment and biodiversity.
LSL News.