Forestry Value

Irish Traveling

Hi Folks,

Can anyone advise how I’d evaluate the value of the following parcel of forestry. I’m not a farmer, nor do I own any other farm/forestry land (if that is relevant). It’s a small plantation which I fancy as a way of dipping my toe in the water!

- 2ha (5 acres) forestry plantation
- planted circa 2015
- comprise a mix of ash/sitka spruce
- has access from main road but no forestry roads

What questions should I be asking the agent?

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.

st1979

Irish Traveling wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Can anyone advise how I’d evaluate the value of the following parcel of forestry. I’m not a farmer, nor do I own any other farm/forestry land (if that is relevant). It’s a small plantation which I fancy as a way of dipping my toe in the water!

- 2ha (5 acres) forestry plantation
- planted circa 2015
- comprise a mix of ash/sitka spruce
- has access from main road but no forestry roads

What questions should I be asking the agent?

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.

The problem with such a small plantation is it will cost a lot more to get it thinned and clearfelled. I have no clue of value but I would talk to forestry contractors and see what they think of working on 5 acres. The thinnings will probably cost you money. I remember seeing teagasc advice about all these small plantations about trying to club together with other forest owners nearby to cut costs on getting timber cut. But maybe you will cut your own timber for firewood

timfromtang

st1979 wrote: »

The problem with such a small plantation is it will cost a lot more to get it thinned and clearfelled.

Unless of course you decide that since its such a small plantation you can do much of the work yourself, in which case..........


You can pay yourself 19 euro a ton for felling your sitka and 10 euro a ton for moving it to roadside from first thin (around year 15) onwards,,,, (pulp prices are in the 30 euro a ton region at roadside, pallet and stake wood are more valuable, saw logs are the cream from second thin onwards to clearfell/regeneration)


The ash portion will yield at least 120 euro a ton when cut and split and dried and sold as firewood from first thin onwards.



The ash portion may need underplanting with a new species and replacing over the next 12-20 years on account of ash dieback, but if approached slowly over a 12-20 year period this will be cheap enough.


Chainsaw for felling, tractor and winch for extraction,.......
a small portion like this could easily be tackled on the weekends far from a full time job.


best of luck with whatever you end up buying.


tim

cute geoge

What would a typical sitku spruce weigh at clearfall time .Would 2 trees weigh a ton therefore who would earn €9.50 for felling each one

lalababa

How to calculate or value per acre of the following:

Average: Sitka spruce, 35yrs old, 14m high, 34inches diametre at 5ft from base, all trees are 6ft apart.
???????
Many thanks.