Christmas Trees Are Not Any Cheaper This Year

Hungary Today 2023.12.05.

Based on Agroinform’s information, 52 percent of shoppers plan to spend at least HUF 7,000 (EUR 18.4) on a Christmas tree, with 23 percent of them planning to spend more than HUF 10,000 (EUR 26.4). With demand expected to be lower, markets are generally introducing price increases of around five percent, reports Magyar Nemzet.

29 percent of respondents plan to buy slightly smaller pine trees this year. Another 11 percent plan to buy a cheaper type, while 21 percent are confident that they can find pine trees of the usual size and kind at a lower price by looking more carefully.

The survey notes that 47 percent of consumers asked are leaving the purchase to the last week before Christmas.

45 percent prefer Nordmann fir, a more durable variety available at a higher price than the others. Spruce is next in the popularity rankings with 37 percent, and silver fir is third with 13 percent.

Photo via Pexels

44 percent plan to buy a pine over one and a half meters, 56 percent less than one meter, and one in eight are interested in rooted pines with a root ball.

26 percent of respondents indicated that they will decorate artificial pine trees instead of fir trees at Christmas.

40 percent of respondents in this group cited environmental protection, 30 percent mentioned the price advantage of reusability, while 22 percent cited durability and cleanliness due to the lack of falling needles.

Photo via Pexels

According to Agroinform, between 6-700 family farms in Hungary today grow between 3,000 and 3,500 hectares of pine trees, with the volume produced covering around three quarters of domestic demand.

Fact

It is a perennial dilemma whether to choose fake or cut fir for the holidays, and it is a question worth considering from an environmental perspective. The most important decoration at Christmas is the pine tree, and finding the perfect one is always challenging. What is more, there is no real difference in price between artificial and cut fir trees, as they are available at roughly the same price. If someone is concerned about the environment, it is best to go for the cut pine, even if, at first glance, fake pine may seem environmentally friendly. Erik Kovács, a researcher at the Climate Policy Institute, said that Christmas trees are planted and nurtured for many years – up to 9-15 years – to decorate someone’s home one day. In addition, live pine trees improve the biosphere in various gardenings or pine nurseries thanks to watering and proper fertilization. They also have a lower impact on the climate, as a pine tree can absorb up to 30-40 kilograms of carbon dioxide and can be recycled in many ways. In contrast, artificial pine trees are typically produced in the Far East, and their manufacture produces a lot of harmful substances. During its production and transport, artificial pine releases as much greenhouse gas and pollutants as a living pine tree releases in 50 years.

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Via Magyar Nemzet, Featured image via Facebook/Cédrus Kertészet Salgótarján