The repeal of subsidies to Christmas tree growers in Continental Europe has led to a big reduction in cultivation, and the export of Nordmann trees from Denmark is down from close to a million to fewer than 200,000.
Retailers spend about £80m stocking up on trees each Christmas. Roger Hay, secretary of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, said early indications are they are having to pay around £1.50 a tree more, which is equating to £2-3 more at the till.
“We now grow enough of the other varieties here to meet demand. The question is whether people will be willing to forego the Nordmann, or whether, too, if this creates more demand for fake trees?,” he said.
“It all depends on the weekends before Christmas. Bad weather means a bad year anyway.”
