Selling timber can be both a rewarding and challenging experience for forest owners. Information and preparation are key to achieving the best outcomes. Noel Kennedy explains how Teagasc’s Talking Timber event in Athlone on May 23rd can help forest owners to successfully sell their conifer timber.
More and more private forests are reaching harvesting stage, as the large-scale planting of the 1990s and 2000s comes to market. A recent Coford report estimates that by 2030 timber production from private forests will increase to 3.6 million cubic metres. By 2040, CSO statistics indicate 61% of all timber harvested will come from privately owned forests – up from 35% in 2021.
With all this timber coming onto the market in the coming years, it is really important that forest owners are in a position to maximise their returns through the successful planning and sale of their potentially valuable timber crops.
If you are a forest owner with conifer timber to sell an important date for your diary is Teagasc’s popular timber marketing day Talking Timber, which is coming to the Athlone Springs Hotel on Tuesday 23rd May.
This year’s theme 'Planning towards sustainable timber production' will explore how forest owners and the wider industry can adapt their management and strategic planning to meet increasing sustainability challenges in growing, harvesting and selling timber.
Organised by Teagasc in association with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Forests Industry Ireland, Talking Timber will again offer forest owners with timber to sell a great opportunity to hear about current timber markets, view harvested logs and timber products and network with a wide range of forest industry businesses.
The event will include:
Outdoor log and timber products display (presented by Forest Industries Ireland);
Mini conference session addressing the topic 'Planning towards sustainable timber production', including panel Q&A;
Display of forest industry stands representing businesses and state organisations offering networking, information exchange and 'doing business' opportunities with forest owners.
Noel Kennedy with sawn logs
How do you sell your timber successfully?
Timber has many facets with many potential markets – but it is a new crop to most forest owners. Like with many other farm products, forest owners need to understand the unique qualities and market potential of their timber.
Many private forests produce can high quality, large volume logs, along with a diverse range of many other products. The outdoor log and timber products session facilitated by Forests Industry Ireland is a really practical forum to see how sawmills assess timber in terms of quality, market potential and price. For forest owners with younger forests, this market insight can inform longer-term practical forest management decisions to optimise future harvesting and timber sales opportunities.
A range of forest companies and State organisations will be there to offer networking, information exchange and business opportunities.
Talking Timber will provide forest owners with the opportunity to ask the right questions of the right people to gain a better understanding of how the process of selling timber works, what the markets are looking for and what they can do to achieve the best economic and environmental outcomes.
Attendance at Talking Timber 2023 is free but will require online registration. For more information on Talking Timber 2023 and registration details click here. Looking forward to seeing you in Athlone Springs Hotel on 23rd May.
Source: EMM/ A&FDA