Germany Christmas tree prices expected to rise

Producers in Germany are forecasting a slight price increase for the upcoming Christmas tree season. According to the Verband natürlicher Weihnachtsbaum, the popular Nordmann fir is expected to cost between 25 and 33 euros per meter, up from last year's range of 23 to 30 euros.

Other varieties are also seeing price adjustments, with blue spruce estimated at 17 to 22 euros per meter and Norway spruce at 14 to 19 euros. Industry experts, including Saskia Blümel and the Bundesverband der Weihnachtsbaumerzeuger, attribute these rising costs to increased production, personnel, and logistics expenses, alongside a declining supply.

The supply shortage is partly due to a long, dry summer that had varying regional impacts. In southern Germany, the drought caused significant damage to new plantings, which may lead to a shortage of trees in eight to nine years. While trees ready for harvest were only sporadically affected, the overall availability of natural Christmas trees is decreasing as producers reduce cultivation areas or exit the industry entirely.