“Organising to Grow Together”
National Forestry Producer Group Conference and
Demonstration - Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo
Wednesday
September 9, 2009 - The Park Hotel, Kiltimagh, Co.
Mayo
Travel directions to the
Conference and Demonstration Day
(enter your
starting point at "A" and click return).
Download the
Conference's brochure and registration form
(0.7 MB).
There are now over 330,000 hectares of private forests in the country involving over 15,000 growers – primarily farmers. Many are now approaching first thinning stage.
Growers have little tradition and experience in managing, utilising and marketing their timber crops. This situation is further complicated by the large number of small plantations (< 8 ha), often fragmented, with difficult road access, distance to markets and mixed quality crops.
To achieve economies of scale and realise an economic return to growers the organisation of individual growers into local forest or timber producer groups may be critical and help build confidence in the wider private forest sector.
“Organising to Grow Together” a National Forest Producer Group Conference and Demonstration organised by Teagasc, in association with Forest Service, will address a range of issues pertinent to the practical, planning, organisational and economic realities of producer group set-up.
An important impetus for the event is a Teagasc run, COFORD funded Cluster project to identify local private forest “clusters” thus providing a important planning tool and stimulus for the establishment of local forest producer groups. Members of the project team will outline their methodology and results at the conference.
Other areas for discussion will include the business/organisational model appropriate to producer group establishment, the experience of a woodland owners’ Co-Op, the challenge of timber supply to a proposed major biomass plant in the West and the successful Welsh woodland model of Coed Cymru.
In the afternoon there is a Planning for First Thinning of conifers demonstration in a local forest. Led by experts from Teagasc and Forest Service the importance of thinning and how thinning is carried out will be discussed and demonstrated. In relation to producer groups there will be particular emphasis on the importance of planning for thinning, estimating likely timber output and having markets in place.
There will also be a demonstration of the production of fencing posts and timber processing and a range of other timber products from first thinnings will be on display.
Programme
| Programme | |
|---|---|
| 8.45 am | Registration and Coffee |
| 9.10 am | Meeting convenes, Noel Kennedy, Forestry Development Department, Teagasc |
|
Session 1 - “Planning Ahead” |
|
| 9.15 am | Keynote Address, John Fennessy, Forest Service |
| 9.45 am | The potential of cluster analysis to aid the private forest sector in Ireland, Niall Farrelly, Forestry Development Department, Teagasc |
| 10.15 am | Organising and structuring your forestry business, Seamus O’Donohoe, ICOS |
| 10.45 am | Coffee and Producer Group Poster Session |
|
Session 2 - “Getting down to Business” |
|
| 11.30 am | The commercial realities of developing a large biomass project in the West of Ireland, Joe O’Carroll, MD Imperative Energy |
| 12.00 pm | Organising Donegal forest owners – a bottom-up approach, John Jackson, Chairperson, Donegal Woodland Owners Society Ltd |
| 12.30 pm | Coed Cymru – The Welsh Experience, Iwan Parry, Forestry Officer, Coed Cymru |
| 1.00 pm | Open Forum and Closing Address |
| 1.15 pm | Lunch |
|
Session 3 - “Forestry in Action” |
|
| 2.30 pm | Forest visit and Demonstration, planning for first thinning (remember to bring raingear and Wellingtons) |
| 4.00 pm | Finish |
Registration
Registration fee of €50 per person for the full day (including refreshments, lunch and buses) applies. Registration is essential as places are limited. Please remember to bring raingear and Wellingtons.
Download the
Conference's brochure and registration form
(0.5 MB).
For further information, please contact Noel Kennedy.
