Ulster Farmers Test Wool Logs for Peatland Restoration
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- Ulster Farmers' Union is testing wool logs as an alternative to imported coir logs for peatland restoration in the Antrim hills.
- Ulster Wildlife says wool logs could cut the carbon footprint of peatland restoration by eliminating Asian imports.
- Northern Ireland's peatlands cover 12% of the region and 86% are degraded, emitting carbon rather than storing it.
- Wool logs are large, soft, wool‑filled tubes with a woven exterior and solid wool rope core, designed to hold water and re‑wet peat.
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs launched a peatland strategy with 26 actions and significant funding needs, which the wool‑log pilot helps address.
Why it matters: Sheep farmers gain a new revenue stream as wool prices slump, while the environment benefits from reduced carbon emissions of imports and improved peat carbon storage; the initiative supports the government’s 2040 peatland restoration target.
