Is Ireland’s Christmas Tree Market in Trouble?

The festive cheer of a fresh-cut Christmas tree might be fading in Ireland as the country’s Christmas tree market faces an uncertain future. Statistics reveal a worrying trend: the planting of Christmas trees has been steadily declining over the past 15 years, by an estimated 50,000 trees annually.

A Shifting Christmas Landscape

Joe Flynn, owner of Wexford Christmas Trees and a speaker on RTÉ’s News at One, acknowledges the current market health, with strong demand among consumers. However, he warns of a looming shift in the balance between real and artificial trees in Irish households. “The market is good and strong. But it’s just flagging a situation that’s going to arise over the next five years that instead of 40% plastic trees, 60% real ones, that statistic will almost reverse,” he explained.

He cites a direct correlation between declining planting figures and the shrinking supply of real trees. “Just based on empirical evidence, the planting that has been done over the last 15 years has constantly reduced by 50,000 trees a year. So it’s gone from maybe 1.2 million in 2008 to around 600,000, maybe 700,000, 750,000 now.”

The Roots of the Problem

Mr. Flynn attributes this decrease to a lack of younger generations entering the Christmas tree industry. “The growers, the farmers producing them are getting a bit old, and their children have seen the ‘slavery’ that’s involved in it,” he said, referring to the demanding nature of the work. The allure of less physically intensive fields like IT and professions has lured many young people away from the family business.

While seasonal in nature, the work of maintaining Christmas trees is a year-round commitment. Mr. Flynn emphasizes, “Looking after the trees takes the full 12 months. We would actually do some pruning of next year’s trees before we finish harvesting because it’s just filling in, having a bit of work for the lads and to make sure to keep them there and have them occupied. It’s a 12-month-a-year job.”

Brexit’s Impact

Adding to the challenges faced by Irish Christmas tree planters are new regulations stemming from Brexit. Mr. Flynn explains, “The thing is that the statistics show that on based on planting figures Ireland would produce about 750,000 trees a year. 420,000, maybe 450,000 would go on the home market and about 300,000 plus would be exported to Britain. We had a new situation now with Brexit and it’s brought in this year where even if you sent a branch of a tree to England, it has to have what they call a phytosanitary certificate. It has to have a certificate from the Department of Agriculture, from the Plant Health section declaring that it is free of disease.

These new requirements translate to increased paperwork, time investment, and ultimately, costs for planters. “It involves a lot of extra paperwork, a lot of extra time [and] therefore, a lot more expense,” Mr. Flynn emphasizes.

Looking Ahead

Despite these challenges, Mr. Flynn expresses gratitude for the support from the Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia in facilitating a smoother transition for planters exporting trees to Britain. “They have been wonderful, being proactive in facilitating the smooth transition of all this paperwork, not have loads sent back because of some glitch in paperwork. We are very thankful to them as well.”

The future of Ireland’s Christmas tree market hangs in the balance. The decline in planting numbers and the added complexities of Brexit paint a concerning picture. Will the allure of tradition be enough to sustain the industry or will the Christmas tree aisles be dominated by artificial evergreens in the coming years?

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