Demand for live Christmas trees in Ukraine
The demand for live Christmas trees in Ukraine continues to decline despite the prepared quantity of trees. In 2023, forest enterprises prepared 991 thousand trees for sale, but as of mid-December 2023, only 39.9 thousand trees were sold. This figure indicates a significant drop in demand compared to previous years.
In 2022, sales of trees amounted to 206.2 thousand, and in 2023 it increased to 247.6 thousand. However, previous years demonstrated even higher numbers: in 2021, 445.2 thousand trees were sold. This indicates that the overall trend of decreasing demand for Christmas trees continues, despite some growth in 2023 compared to the previous year.
State of the Christmas tree market
The area of plantations for Christmas trees in Ukraine is 2753.5 hectares, but the number of trees being grown has decreased from 12.4 million to 7.8 million. This may indicate that the market is adapting to the declining demand. As of early December 2023, only 34 cases of illegal logging have been recorded, indicating that control over such actions is being implemented.
- The leaders in tree harvesting were Vinnytsia with 187 thousand trees (19% of the total volume)
- Zhytomyr with 142 thousand (14%)
Zhytomyr region also holds the lead for land area under Christmas trees - 640 hectares. This indicates the active participation of these regions in the cultivation and sale of Christmas trees in Ukraine.
The decline in demand for live trees may be related to various factors, such as changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, or the increasing popularity of artificial trees. At the same time, the reduction in the number of trees being grown may indicate that producers are adapting to market conditions, which may affect the future dynamics of this segment. Control over illegal logging also indicates the government's efforts to preserve forest resources, which may positively impact the ecological situation in the country.