Raw materials. 1er December, the Advent calendar started to catch on. The moment to go back in time. Remember, a year ago, France was confined, anxious to curb the spread of the coronavirus. In this gloomy atmosphere, everyone wondered about the prospect of the end of year celebrations. And the subject of the Christmas tree had become thorny for the government. Finally, he had not hesitated to issue a decree to give him a safe-conduct and thus deconfin the conifer.
As a result, from November 20, the festive trees took root in front of florists, garden centers, DIY stores or supermarkets. The French, in a hurry to bring an air of celebration into their house, had rushed to the stores and had not hesitated to pay 170 million euros to afford the king of the forest. In fact, almost 6 million trees. By adding the artificial version, the jackpot rises, for 2020, to 200 million euros, according to data published by FranceAgrimer.
Nothing like this this year, although the coronavirus still occupies the minds. The tree comes tumbling down on tiptoe. Without real media garland. In 2020, the EELV mayor of Bordeaux, Pierre Hurmic, had, it is true, fueled the controversy by refusing to install “A dead tree” In the city center. This year, a monumental tree made of recycled glass and steel will take pride of place in Bordeaux. The choice of an artificial tree without igniting the powder …
“Traditions die hard”
“These are epiphenomena”, reacts Frédéric Naudet, owner of Pépinières Naudet, in the Morvan, and president of the French Association of the natural Christmas tree (AFSNN). “This year is looking good, the craze for the Christmas tree is not waning. Traditions die hard ”, he says, confident, even if the recent snowfall complicates the last cuts in his fir trees.
He is nevertheless worried about the increase in packaging and transport costs, which does not spare this sector. Especially since the tree prices are negotiated at the beginning of the year with the distribution. Fulfillment for fir producers, “The whole profession was confronted with the problem of the availability of wood for conditioning and making the base of the tree”, as recounted by Gildas Le Foll, director of the company Greencap, operating 600 hectares of plantation in Scaër, in Finistère, one of the largest producers of Christmas trees in France, with the Pépinières Naudet. Finally, each tree found a log at its foot.
You have 14.06% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.