Just under three months until Christmas – preparations have already begun for Christmas tree producers in Brandenburg. The trees for the festival are also likely to be more expensive at the stalls this year. However, there should be moderate price adjustments at best, said Christmas tree producer Christian Mai from Werder an der Havel, who is also a member of the board of the federal association. Andreas Jende, managing director of the Berlin-Brandenburg Horticultural Association, gives some of the reasons why the costs have risen because of higher wages and more expensive fertilizers. He sees no loss of quality as the trees grow.
According to the Horticultural Association, around 80 to 90 hours of work are required each year to care for a future Christmas tree. They are only ready for harvest after eight to nine years. According to the State Office for Statistics, almost 60 companies had Christmas trees on almost 600 hectares in Brandenburg last year.
Will the energy crisis and general inflation also have consequences for the Christmas tree business? “There is a Plan B,” said Jende, referring to the debate about not having Christmas lights. The tree can be equipped with real candles instead of electric lights.
The Werderaner Tannenhof with a plantation of around 60 hectares is also reacting to the energy crisis: In addition to the Christmas trees, there are more candles and fire extinguishers there, as Managing Director Mai said. He does not expect that more people will want to do without a tree for the festival. The value of Christmas is particularly important in times of crisis.
Large increases in costs did not bother his company. The price for trees that are felled on the farms in Brandenburg and Thuringia remains at the previous year’s level, said Mai, whose customers were happy to buy Nordmann firs. A Christmas tree, 1.75 meters high, costs around 40 euros. On the sales areas distributed in the country, which are currently being prepared, it will be five to ten percent more expensive.
Werderaner Tannenhof Tannen-Jung
