how Belgium became the 2nd exporter
Christmas tree sale in Mouscron on December 6, 2019 @BelgaImage
The Walloon annual production of Christmas trees is around two million units. These trees are the subject of a wholesale trade and are exported at nearly 85%, which makes Belgium the second European country to export Christmas trees after Denmark, indicates Monday the Walloon agency for the promotion. quality agriculture (Apaq-W) as the end of the year holidays approach.
The highly prized Ardennes firs
This economic sector is important for the Walloon Region with some 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs (around 450 direct and 550 indirect jobs) and a turnover of professional Christmas tree producers estimated at 35 million euros. The activity extends throughout the year, from the cultivation of seeds in the nursery to cutting.
Production occupies an area of approximately 3,100 hectares, representing approximately 0.42% of the useful agricultural surface. The 50 or so Walloon companies in the sector are mainly concentrated in the province of Luxembourg or in the south of the province of Namur. Walloon Christmas tree producers are also moving towards an increasingly eco-responsible and sometimes organic culture, underlines Apaq-W.
Producers affiliated with the Ardennes Union of Pépiniéristes (UAP) have launched a charter to try to reduce their impact on the environment, called “Véritable et écoresponsable”. It aims to gradually reduce the use of herbicides, to favor cutting rather than removing clods and using animals to clean the land.