Christmas tree farmers are in the midst of their busiest time of year.
Irish Christmas trees are in demand right across Europe, with trees being exported by the truckload to the UK, France, Germany, Holland and other EU countries.
About 400,000 Christmas trees will be sold in Ireland, and growers have been working furiously to get the trees out.
Most real Christmas trees wholesale at about €15-30, but retail prices will be €20-30 more.
So far this year there have been no reports of theft from farms, but owners are being particularly cautious, with 24-hour security at locations where trees are being cut.
Some owners have moved caravans onto sites so they can keep an eye on their crop themselves, while others have employed security companies to keep watch.
The Garda Press Office says gardaí have been working with growers since the beginning of October in a crime prevention capacity.
As part of this initiative meetings were held with growers to inform gardaí of the location of farms and of security concerns.
A number of garda checkpoints have been mounted in these areas, and the Garda Air Support Unit has also been involved in the efforts.
