The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Farmers told woodland rethink could pay off
SCOTTISH FARMERS have a poor record of looking after their woodlands — but by neglecting them they could be losing out on a considerable income stream. That is the view of Graham Bruce, managing director of Ringlink, the Laurencekirk-based machinery ring and labour provider.
“When we initially had talks with SAOS and Forestry Commission Scotland we were aware that there were unmanaged woodlands all over Scotland but we didn’t realise the scale.
“The assumption was that it would be in plots of 0.5ha up to 10ha, but in fact there is a much greater area involved,” Mr Bruce said.
The organisations involved set up a pilot project which started with a survey of 60 farms.
It turned out that these farms had between them 1,600ha of unmanaged woodlands, or an average of just under 27 hectares.
A later and wider survey of more than 100 farms came up with a similar result.
Mr Bruce’s Elgin-based Ringlink colleague George Bruce was then charged to look further into the matter and see how machinery rings could help coordinate management programmes for these untended areas.
The fit was fairly obvious, with machinery rings having equipment and staff available at times of the year when there is little farm work.
There are also contractors available with the sort of specialised harvesting equipment that would be beyond the reach of small-scale woodland owners.
There are rewards to be had, with the 2,500ha surveyed reckoned to have a gross value of £2 million, and a net roadside value of £1m.
At an open day at West Mains of Kinblethmont, Arbroath, George said the first stage of the process was to visit the woodland and prepare a report. This would include a management plan and, if appropriate, a felling programme. There might also be a recommended programme for replanting.
“I know farmers think that the return from growing timber is not good enough, but demand is growing,” said George.
“Forestry Commission Scotland think there is a sufficient supply for around 30 years, but after that there will be a shortage.
“Combined heat and power biomass plants are being developed right now, some with a requirement for 250,000 tonnes of wood per year.
“Biomass is now setting a base for the market and, with an average projected income of £200 per year over the life of a plantation, it could be better than the alternative of poor quality grass,” George said.
There could also be an alternative income if a market can be found for carbon credits. This is a complex area but could be dealt with on a cooperative basis. With carbon credits worth £15 per tonne, the income could make all the difference to making new woodland planting viable.
As George pointed out, much would also depend on grants available under the new Scottish Rural Development Programme. This would be in monetary terms but also in relation to accessibility to grant schemes.
Harvesting of existing woodland was also best handled on a cooperative basis to achieve economy of scale.
George said he would normally look for four or five farmers or landowners in an area to work together on a felling programme. This minimised travelling time for expensive harvesting and allowed best use to be made of timber transporters.
Ringlink and other machinery rings were also able to arrange for wood chipping for biomass customers.
The pilot woodland management project has now been rolled out into a programme which will be available though all the machinery rings in Scotland.
Robert Ramsay, farmer at West Mains of Kinblethmont, has already initiated a woodland programme using softwoods for biomass and hardwoods for logs and other products.