Christmas tree availability has been extremely closely aligned to demand with prices about a 100p a tree up on last year.
One of the UK’s largest suppliers Alan Jakins & Sons forecasts that this rising trend is likely to continue.
“Over the last few years, growers have not planted so many trees,” said Alan Jakins. “So volumes have been slightly down this year and they are likely to be down next year and even the year after that. That is why prices are up slightly per tree this year.”
But he warns against prices going to high. “We are at a not-bad price point now,” he said. “Prices were actually dearer 15 years ago when artificial trees were more popular, but if the trees get too dear people will go back over to artificial.”
Bedfordshire-based Jakins sources from Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany as well as small volumes from England. Roughly 70 per cent of supplies are needle-holding Nordman Fir, with the remainder accounted for by Norway Spruce and minor varieties such as Lodge Pole Pine and Fraser Fir. Suppliers report that there is now very little surplus availability on the Continent. “My Danish grower said this week that he doesn’t think there are any spare loads in Europe,” said Jakins. “So what there is left in the UK now is all there will be for Christmas.”
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