Christmas: Taxiarchis firs “sell out”.

In the mountainous traditional village of Taxiarchis in Halkidiki, which is built in the “heart” of Holomont, the majority of the residents, aged between 20 and 80 years, are also engaged in the cultivation of fir trees and have 75% of the Christmas trees on the Greek market.

As every year, this year too, the fir growers of Taxiarchis Halkidiki, not only signal the start of the festive season in the country, but also go the extra mile to ensure that no home is left without the number one symbol of Christmas and New Year.

This year, the fir growers traveled to Thessaloniki, Athens, Volos, Patras and to Alexandroupoliwhile they exported trees to Cypruswhere they have been present for the last twelve years, but also in Albaniaa market that “opened” for them in 2021.

The producers of the mountainous village of Taxiarchis are even optimistic that they will break the sales record they achieved in 2021, when they sold more than 32,000 natural fir trees inside and outside the Greek borders.

“We are completely satisfied and happy with the acceptance we receive from the world inside and outside the Greek borders and even if we do not break the sales record of 2021 and remain at last year’s levels when we sold more than 31,000 trees, we are grateful for the trust”, emphasized speaking to APE-MPE, the president of the community, Yiannis Xakis.

“It is a great thing the fact that in such difficult times, precisely when various services and goods have hit “red”, many citizens chose to put Taxiarchis firs in their homes. We thank them very much”, he said characteristically.

However, the interest in Taxiarchis’ firs is constantly increasing. The president of the community of Taxiarchis and a fir producer emphasized: “just yesterday a lady took me from Crete asking me for Christmas trees and I promised her that if not this year, then certainly from next year we will make sure that a way is found and that our trees travel to every corner of Greece, where they long for them”.

“Some sales were also made in Greek this year Islandsbut I still don’t have a clear picture of the quantities available and exactly where they were sent”, noted Mr. Xakis and added that it is very important for fir producers that “not only do we not lose markets that we have conquered over the years, but new ones are constantly being added”.

This year’s prices are at last year’s levels

Regarding the prices of Taxiarchis firs for this year, Mr. Xakis noted that despite the fact that the transport costs remain significantly increased, due to the international situation, but also the fact that the amount paid by the fir producers to the municipalities is high where they settle in order to make their sales, the Taxiarchis fir producers are determined to “put their backs” and not leave any consumer complaining.

“We are fir producers, but we are also consumers and we fully understand the difficulties of the citizens, with the increased costs in energy and food”, he emphasized. Thus, prices this year fluctuate at last year’s levels, i.e. close to About 50 euros for fir trees up to two and a half meters high70-80 euros up to three meters and from 25 euros for fir trees that do not exceed one and a half meters.

Of course, as he hastened to point out, “due to the circumstances, this year the “hard bargains” between producers and citizens returned strongly. Nobody emerges as a winner, since most of the time seller and buyer find each other in the middle and exchange holiday wishes with smiles.”

It is recalled that the largest sales were made by the Taxiarchi fir producers in 2009, when they sold a total of over 48,000 fir trees inside and outside the Greek borders, a figure which, as Mr. Xakis mentioned, he wishes would be recorded again.