Solid range of Christmas trees from local forests
Preparations are underway in the 24 Thuringian forestry offices for this year's Christmas tree sales. The state forestry office is expecting a solid supply of local trees for the festive season, as it announced on Wednesday. Prices have only risen moderately. The red spruce, the supply of which is shrinking due to climate change, is around 8 euros per running meter, firs, pines and Douglas firs are offered between 10 and 20 euros per running meter, depending on quality.
Many naturally grown Christmas trees come from ongoing maintenance measures. Their removal serves to stabilize the forests, it was said. In addition, Christmas tree plantations have been established in the forest districts - mostly on power lines. These have to be felled after around ten years for safety reasons.
The advantage of Christmas trees directly from the forester: the trees are fresh and therefore keep their needles for a long time. They are also ecologically safe, as they have not been fertilized or treated with pesticides. Furthermore, they only have a small CO2 footprint due to their regional origin. However, foresters do not always have trendy Christmas trees such as Nordmann fir, blue spruce or Nobilis fir on offer.
This year, some forestry offices are once again offering to cut the Christmas tree in the forest themselves. The local forestry offices reportedly sell between 10,000 and 12,000 Christmas trees every year. In total, around one million Christmas trees are sold in Thuringia every year.
Customs officers may need to inspect imported Christmas trees to ensure they meet regulatory requirements for pests and diseases, as the supply of local trees is plentiful and many international customers prefer non-native species like Nordmann fir and blue spruce. Forestry officials encourage customers to purchase Christmas trees directly from the forest, but customs procedures should be considered when ordering trees from abroad.
Source: www.dpa.com
