Irish Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said farmers in every county should definitely consider planting trees.

The Minister came to this conclusion after the statement of the Oirechtas Agricultural Committee that Ireland “substantially” does not fulfill its goals of planting forests. In 2018, it was 4,025 ha, and the target was 6,605 ha. For 2019, the target is 6,900 ha.

Due to the deterioration of indicators, the Ministry of Agriculture conducted a mid-term review of the forestry program. Minister Creed noted that trees are an important part of the Irish agricultural response to climate change.

More than one third of emissions savings from the Teagasc Agricultural Reduction Roadmap recently approved by the Oireachtas Climate Action Committee will come from increased afforestation. During the analysis, the afforestation level from 2021 to 2030 remained unchanged at 7,000 ha per year, which is significantly higher than the 4000 ha planted in 2018.

“In addition to climate benefits, trees also bring a number of other benefits in terms of employment and income that are not taxed for 15 years. There is also employment in the wood processing and processing industry, ”the minister emphasized.