Christmas tree prices will increase by 10-15 percent this year

However, the agricultural portal’s survey last week shows that the predicted price increase will not significantly affect previous purchasing habits. The majority of respondents, 53 percent, indicated that since it is a once-a-year issue, they will buy the usual type and size of pine this year as well. 19 percent may go back to the planned size. 16 percent are trying to compensate for the price increase by looking for a cheaper place to buy or by bargaining more skillfully. Only 8 percent would switch to a cheaper variety, and only 4 percent will consider breaking their previous habit of buying pine trees at all this year.

61 percent of buyers plan to spend a maximum of 10 thousand forints on pine trees, but faced with market realities, some of them will likely exceed this limit. 15 percent of buyers are planning to spend over 20 thousand forints. 59 percent are interested in the most expensive pine species, the Nordmann pine. Spruce is next on the popularity list with a value of 24 percent, while silver pine is 14 percent. Of the other varieties, which account for only 3 percent, Colorado pine deserves special mention, replacing Douglas fir, which has declined due to fungal infection.

58 percent plan to buy a pine tree over one and a half meters, 42 percent plan to buy a pine tree smaller than this size, and 18 percent of buyers are interested in pine trees with roots and sold with a ball of soil. The final number of pine trees sold before Christmas will only become clear in the last few days, as 37 percent of buyers leave their pine tree purchase until the last week.

We do not protect the environment with artificial pine trees

According to the survey, a quarter of the population currently decorates Christmas with artificial pine trees instead of pine trees. Among those who choose artificial fir trees, environmental protection is the most common reason (48%), but many also highlight the price advantage due to the possibility of using them for several years, and the lack of leaf loss due to drying out. At the same time, it should be known that fir trees planted as Christmas trees are overall more environmentally friendly than artificial fir trees. Their cultivation is very similar to that of other agricultural crops, and the majority of discarded trees are composted, so neither their production nor their destruction significantly burden the environment. By purchasing them, we support not manufacturers from the Far East, but mostly domestic producers.

The domestic pine industry is currently defying climate change

In Hungary, 600-700 family farms grow pine trees on 3,000-3,500 hectares today. Climate change poses a significant challenge for domestic growers, as none of the pine species can withstand drought well, and the lack of humidity weakens the trees, which makes them easier to infect with pests. “Due to the drought year and the rapidly increasing costs of pest protection, a price increase is inevitable. At the same time, Danish pine imports have also become more expensive this year, so the domestic pine sector will be able to maintain its market share this year despite the difficulties: high-quality domestic pines are able to satisfy 75-80 percent of domestic demand this year as well,” Balázs Győrfy, a pine tree grower in Zala County and president of the newly formed Christmas Tree Growers’ Association, told Agroinform.hu.