Commenting on
the announcement,
President of the Country Land and Business Association Tim
Breitmeyer said:
“This news will be welcomed by many farmers looking
to invest in forestry. We all know that trees and forests are a
huge part of the answer to climate change and delivering
society’s long-term ambitions for the environment. The elephant
in the room has always been how to make it financially attractive
for land managers to be encouraged to invest in trees. In
delivering a guaranteed price every five to ten years, it will
help tree planting become a more realistic long-term option,
while the flexibility offered in the trading of Woodland Carbon
Units will ensure a financial return for farmers who will be
offsetting society’s more carbon intensive
activities.
“However, it is clear that £50 million is a drop in
the ocean as far as incentivising the planting at scale that is
needed, and indeed expected, of farmers. Furthermore, barriers to
new woodland planting are many, so this announcement needs to
form part of a suite of policies and incentives that tackle
issues as diverse as taking agricultural land out of production,
a lack of advice, knowledge and skills in the sector, tenancy
matters, and the threat of diseases and pests. We would also like
to see an alternative scheme to reward those who have already
taken the step towards planting more trees.”
