Opening of the sixth Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme 2025

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with responsibility for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae, today announced the opening of the Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme 2025.

Minister Healy-Rae said:

The aim of the Forestry KTG Scheme is to increase the level of forest management activity amongst forest owners. Participating in the scheme our target group, forest owners, gain additional knowledge to help them gain expertise in managing their forest over its lifetime. This will include the importance of forests for climate change mitigation and their adaptation and resilience against weather events.

According to the According to the COFORD Councils, which provides advice on forest sector development, All Ireland Roundwood Production Forecast 2021 – 2040, wood production is set to increase from 4.7 million cubic metres to nearly eight million cubic metres by 2035 , mostly from these privately owned forests. It is vital that the State's investment in forestry is realised through the mobilisation of this timber, to create economic activity along the supply chain through activities such as harvesting, transportation, replanting and processing. Any barriers to mobilising private timber, like knowledge gaps, are addressed through the Forestry KTGs.

The KTGs are led by a professional forester and encourage participants to engage with forestry groups and professionals. They operate with a bottom-up approach with the members themselves deciding on what it is they wish to learn. Participants get the opportunity to learn from the experts and from each other’s experiences within a discussion group setting. In addition, KTGs can be used as a vehicle to bring forest owners in contact with professional foresters (KTG facilitators and Teagasc advisors).

KTG participation

Each KTG can have a maximum of 20 participants and each participant will need to attend seven meetings or outdoor events in order to complete the programme. Participants who have not taken part in a Forestry KTG in the previous three years, can be invited to participate in this KTG round. Participation in other agriculture KTGs does not impact on participant’s eligibility to take part in Forestry KTGs.

KTG payments

KTG payments are broken down as follows.

A total of seven meetings and events will be organised per KTG – the maximum payment to each participant is €560.

KTG evaluation

An evaluation process will apply to ensure that only applications to organise a KTG that reach a minimum standard are considered. Applications will also be ranked if the scheme is over subscribed.

Each KTG application received will be rated according to the following criteria:

• how client base/membership/future participants would benefit from membership of your KTG(s)
• capacity/experience of each KTG organiser to run the KTG programme
• extent of previous knowledge transfer activities (list field trips, seminars, publications)
• promotion strategy to attract inactive forest owners to the KTG

All applicants will be ranked according to the marks awarded. Available KTGs will be distributed 50:50 between forestry producer groups and forestry companies/forestry consultants.

Further details a copy of the Scheme Terms & Conditions and the Form A application can be downloaded from the department’s website at: Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group Scheme 2025.

Completed applications must be emailed to forestryktg@agriculture.gov.ie by 4pm on Tuesday 11 March 2025.