Forestry owners likely to net €15m through sales of Christmas trees

FORESTRY owners are likely to net €15m through sales of Christmas trees in what is traditionally one of their best annual periods of sale, according to an industry expert.

Dermot Page, chairman of the Irish Christmas Tree Growers’ Association, said that the harvesting of 700,000 Christmas trees for the domestic and export market is well under way around the country, with up to 100 growers in the middle of the busiest time of the year for them in the run-up to December.

However, Mr Page also said that the lack of suitable soil in the export markets has created an opening for quality Irish Christmas trees. He also warns forestry owners against the seasonal threat of theft.

“The Nordmann fir and the Noble fir thrive in the conditions in this country, unlike England and France,” said Dermot Page, noting that the theft of trees is becoming a major issue for growers. “Harvesting depots have set up security operations to protect Christmas trees while they are stored, before they are distributed to market. Increasingly, growers are also being forced to install security on their plantations as trees are targeted by thieves even before they are harvested.

Over 40%, or 300,000 trees, are exported, mainly to Britain and France. The most popular varieties grown in this country are the Nordmann fir (70%) and the Noble fir (20%), which our soil is particularly suited to growing. Their ability to retain their needles makes them very popular with customers both here and abroad.

On average it takes seven to 10 years for a Christmas tree to grow to a minimum height of two metres.

Wicklow, Wexford and Carlow have the greatest concentration of tree farms in the country.