A survey on behalf of the Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association (ICTGA) has revealed that 44% of consumers are likely to opt for the “real deal” this festive season with an average spend per tree of €43.
Almost half of Irish households say they will be buying a real Irish Christmas tree this year, with between 350,000 and 400,000 trees expected to be sold throughout the country in the run up to the big day.
Forty three per cent say Christmas is not the same without a real tree and 34% say its family tradition to buy a real tree.
The ICTGA is this year expanding its tree labelling system to help guide consumers on buying a home-grown product of the highest quality. Families are being encouraged to choose an Irish-grown tree by looking for the “Love A Real Tree” label which will prove the tree was grown by an ICTGA member.
According to Dermot Page of the ICTGA, "Over 80 of our member growers across the country have been busy harvesting their crop. More than 550,000 trees will be cut, 350,000 plus for the domestic market with the balance being exported to European markets including the UK, Germany and France."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
