Around 550,000 Christmas trees are sold by Irish producers each year, with 350,000 sold here at home and about 200,000 trees exported to the UK, France and Germany. The industry is worth €21m to the Irish economy. Minister of State, Andrew Doyle, is calling on the public to support Irish growers by buying a real Irish tree for Christmas this year.

“I see the Christmas tree farms around the country, especially here in Wicklow, and the seven to 10 years of work that goes into producing a good quality tree – the work is all year round, planting, shaping, spraying, fertilising, marketing, harvesting,” Doyle said at a visit to Chrismas tree grower Stephen Cowman, Parkmore Christmas Tree farm in Moneystown, Co Wicklow.

The minister added: “I would also like to add my support to the Irish Christmas Tree Growers #lovearealtree campaign. To me it’s only common sense. Real trees provide a better Christmas experience in the home, they are better for the environment, carbon-neutral and everyone who buys an Irish tree is contributing to providing jobs in rural Ireland for Christmas tree growers like Stephen Cowman, his family and staff.”

The minister concluded by noting the risks Christmas tree growers face. “This business doesn’t come without its risks and none more so than the risk of Christmas tree theft. I would like to acknowledge the work of An Garda Síochána in carrying out Operation Hurdle, an initiative specifically aimed at combating the theft of Christmas trees in the approach to Christmas.”

Operation Hurdle has been running since 2011, and has dramatically driven down Christmas tree theft in Wicklow.

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Christmas growers launch real tree campaign