Christmas trees to the value of €10 million are being exported to continental markets this festive season. Most of the trees are already on their way to Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland.
Mr Michael Maloney, chief executive of Bord Glas, the Irish Horticulture Board, said Ireland had a reputation for growing a top-quality Christmas tree because of the ideal climatic conditions. Bord Glas is the State agency which promotes increased purchasing of quality horticultural produce.
"We are working closely with the Irish Christmas Tree Grower Association to to ensure that consumers know how the identify a quality Irish Christmas tree and ensure the trees are purchased from recognised sources," he said.
Urging people to buy an Irish Christmas tree this year, Mr Maloney said this was the environmentally friendly way of celebrating Christmas. He said the forest environment was protected by the fact that Christmas trees were continually being planted to replace those trees being harvested.
They also produced a large amount of oxygen and removed harmful carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. "Once cared for properly, non-shedding trees such as the noble fir and lodgepole pine will not lose their needles and are a renewable resource which can be effectively recycled," he said
Up to 400,000 Irish trees are sold each year in the Republic. The noble fir is the most popular variety, accounting for 60 per cent of the market, with the lodgepole pine and nordman fir taking 30 per cent share and the Norway spruce accounting for 5 per cent of sales.
Four thousand hectares are planted with Christmas trees, with counties Wicklow, Wexford and Carlow having the greatest concentration of tree farms. Tipperary has the greatest acreage.
The drive to sell the trees will begin this weekend when they will be moved from the main forests into city depots to prepare them for sale.