The Christmas tree market in Ireland could be set to shrink in the coming years.
Statistics have shown that the planting of Christmas trees has reduced by around 50,000 trees a year over the last 15 years.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Joe Flynn of Wexford Christmas Trees said that despite the market remaining healthy, there will be an inevitable increase in artificial trees in Irish households.
"It (the market) is good and strong. The growers are very pleased with the demand. But it's just flagging a situation that's going to arise over the next five years that instead of 40% plastic trees, 60% real ones, that statistic will almost reverse," he said.
"Just based on empirical evidence, the planting that has been done over the last 15 years has constantly reduced by 50,000 trees a year. So it's gone from maybe 1.2 million in 2008 to around 600,000, maybe 700,000, 750,000 now."
Growers leaving the industry
Mr Flynn attributes the decrease in trees planted in Ireland to a younger generation of planter leaving the industry to pursue less labour-intensive careers.
"The growers, the farmers producing them are getting a bit old and their children have seen the 'slavery' that's involved in it," said Mr Flynn.
"They've opted for IT careers and professional careers and so on and nobody can blame them. But they're all familiar with the work that goes into it, of course."
While the work is seasonal by nature, Mr Flynn said maintenance of the plants is a year-round job.
"Looking after the trees takes the full 12 months. We would actually do some pruning of next year's trees before we finish harvesting because it's just filling in, having a bit of work for the lads and to make sure to keep them there and have them occupied," he explained.
"It's a 12 month a year job."
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Brexit implications
Other issues facing planters are new regulations that have been introduced as a result of Brexit.
"The thing is that the statistics show that on based on planting figures Ireland would produce about 750,000 trees a year. 420,000, maybe 450,000 would go on the home market and about 300,000 plus would be exported to Britain," said Mr Flynn.
"We had a new situation now with Brexit and it's brought in this year where even if you sent a branch of a tree to England, it has to have what they call a phytosanitary certificate. It has to have a certificate from the Department of Agriculture, from the Plant Health section declaring that it is free of disease.
He said this involves "a lot of extra paperwork, a lot of extra time [and] therefore, a lot more expense".
Mr Flynn did, however, thank the Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia for their assistance to planters exporting trees to Britain.
"They have been wonderful, being proactive in facilitating the smooth transition of all this paperwork, not have loads sent back because of some glitch in paperwork," he said.
"We are very thankful to them as well."
