SCOTLAND needs a fit-for-purpose process for forestry to meet its own planting targets, Confor, the trade body promoting forestry and wood, has warned.

Forestry Minister Dr Aileen McLeod has been urged to drive further improvements to delivery of the Forestry Grant Scheme - to speed up the process of approval for new woodland creation applications and to ensure the Scottish Government hits its official target of 100,000 hectares of new woodland in the decade to 2022.

Speaking at Confor's annual dinner on Tuesday evening, Stuart Goodall, the organisation's chief executive said: "We welcome the Scottish Government's planting ambitions, but if we are to deliver their targets, we need to get everything working better, whether it's new computer systems now or the process of approving new planting schemes in future.

"Initially the target required 10,000 hectares of new planting a year. We have not been meeting this and Confor calculates that we need around 13,000 hectares a year to hit the target by 2022. This needs to include 8-9,000 hectares annually of productive conifer species - softwoods which supply the timber needed by Scotland's wood processing businesses. They are investing around £50m a year, but we need to know that the long-term supply of wood is guaranteed."

A recent Forestry Commission Scotland report showed forestry and wood processing was worth £1bn to Scotland's economy, but Mr Goodall said this success was largely down to historic planting and that momentum must be maintained to secure jobs and investment in the coming decades.

"If we plant now, we secure the future of rural communities where forestry and timber has become a bedrock employer, from tree nurseries through to high-tech sawmills."

Mr Goodall said planting targets were not being met because the process of approving applications took too long and was too complex, and this was being exacerbated in the short-term by problems with a new computer system.

Mr Goodall also told his audience that Confor would be discussing with Dr McLeod the importance of the Government continuing to provide funding for the Strategic Timber Transport Fund saying: "This fund has been enormously helpful in taking timber off rural roads."

Market round-up

Lawrie & Symington Ltd sold 182 store heifers in Lanark on Tuesday to a top of £1150 per head and 235.9p per kg to average £868.95 and 194.6p, while 205 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at £1230 and 245.5p to level at £961.27 and 212.2p. Sixteen store, dairy-bred bullocks averaged £736.15 and 146.9p.