Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew MP MLA this week visited Balcas Timber Ltd just outside Enniskillen, to see for herself the production of the environmentally friendly wood pellets which the company manufacture.

During the visit, she was introduced to the Balcas senior management team and toured their log processing facility, combined heat and power plant and wood pellet production plant.

Responding to the warm welcome given by the Balcas management team, the Minister said: "What I have seen is very impressive. The integrated use of forest products by Balcas is the result of closer and innovative partnerships between Government and industry.

"This underpins what we in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are doing to improve the economics of the Forestry Sector and Sustainable Rural Development. Balcas are clearly at the forefront of generating renewable energy, using wood fibre from forests as a fuel to produce electricity for industrial consumption and wood pellets for domestic use," she continued.

She reminded farmers and landowners of the long term Forest Policy aim to double the local forest area to 150,000ha (375,000 acres) by 2050, and the important role that private landowners have in achieving this objective.

"This visit", she added, " is a clear demonstration of how partnership has created vitality and confidence within the wood processing and forest product sector, resulting in renewable energy making such a positive contribution to the rural economy."