The fall out from Storm Darragh and Eowyn has been monumental for the Irish Forestry Industry. To get an overview of this I speak with Victor Barber - Victor's a qualified forester who began his career with Western Forestry Co Op and is now their Harvesting Manager based out of Sligo. He also farms and is a regular contributor to the Farmers Journal on all things forestry. We speak about Storm Éoywn, we try to make sense of why some sites blew down and some sites didn't, we discuss the challenge harvesting windblown sites and the arrival of international harvesting crews. Finally we talk through the export of timber in containers and how prices are holding up for the owners of recently harvested forests.

Western Forestry Coop: https://westernforestrycoop.ie/

Victor Barber's Profile: https://westernforestrycoop.ie/our-staff/victor-barber/

Victor in the Farmers Journal https://www.farmersjournal.ie/focus/forestry/planning-windblow-from-harvesting-and-sale-to-replanting-885052
DAFM Guidance on using free satellite technology to assess windblown forests: youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=Hqqy5sP8PzY
IFA Timber Price Survey: https://www.ifa.ie/market-reports/timber-price-surveys/
ITGA: Wood Price Quarterly: https://itga.ie/services/information/wpq

Forestry Now
https://forestrynow.eu/

Chapters
[0:00:01] – Introduction & Guest Background
Dermot McNally introduces the podcast, outlines the episode, and welcomes Victor Barber, the harvesting manager at Western Forestry Co-Op, discussing his experience and the episode’s topics.

[0:01:13] – Harvesting Methods & Services at Western Forestry Co-Op
Victor explains the evolution of harvesting and sales at Western Forestry Co-Op, including the control of harvests, contracting, and maximizing returns for timber owners.

[0:03:39] – Impact of Storms Dara & Eamon; Harvesting Crews
Discussion of crew numbers before and after storms, the increase to 11 crews during peak, and the significant industry disruption caused by extreme weather.

[0:06:07] – International Harvesting Crews
Victor describes bringing in Romanian harvesting crews managed by Dutch supervisors, their skill, adaptation to the Irish climate, and overcoming initial language barriers.

[0:08:05] – Wind-Blown Sites: Patterns of Damage
Explores which sites suffered wind blow, the lack of clear patterns, why broadleaf plantations mostly escaped damage, and how storm severity overrode usual forestry precautions.

[0:12:18] – Harvesting Process on Wind-Blown vs. Normal Sites
Victor outlines the added complexity and reduced speed of harvesting wind-blown sites, describing tangled trees (“bowl of spaghetti”) and the challenge for operators.

[0:13:51] – Forwarder Machines and Site Maintenance
Discussion on how, despite slow harvesting, forwarders remain engaged in site maintenance, especially laying down brash to protect soil in adverse weather.

[0:15:27] – Timber Recovery & Brash Management
The impact of wind blow on saleable timber recovery, the need for skilled harvester drivers, and the generally good outcomes despite damage and logistical hurdles with brash.

[0:18:10] – Timber Certification & Export to Europe/China
Post-storm oversupply leads to container exports to China/Europe; Victor notes certification wasn’t a deciding factor in sales this year.

[0:21:28] – Logistics of Exporting Timber
How exporting works: from forests to yards to ships, the roles of international buyers, and adapting logistics for safety and efficiency after the storm.

[0:24:55] – Timber Measurement & Pricing
Shift from weight-based to volume-based pricing; the challenges for timber owners, summer weather effects, and industry-wide learning on measurement methods.

[0:31:20] – Financial Returns for Forest Owners
Examples of net earnings per acre from wind-blown sites, with older plantations faring better and younger ones hit hardest by increased harvesting costs and price drop.

[0:35:32] – Future Outlook & 2026 Expectations
Expectations for the coming year: industry hopes for a reconstitution grant, continued challenges with pulp prices, and the need for support to restart planting cycles.