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Aims
The principal aims of the Association are:-
- To foster the production of 'real' Christmas Trees.
- To promote the sale of 'real' Irish Christmas trees and give market assistance to growers.
- To enable growers to exchange information and ideas.
- To provide a unified force for the industry.
Objectives
The Association recognises that the growing of Christmas trees is a skilled and highly important land use. In addition it also recognises that the exporting of Christmas trees is an important economic earner. In view of these facts it sees its objectives as:-
- Ensuring prospective Christmas tree growers are made aware of the amount of time, money and energy and of the high level of husbandry and marketing expertise that is required.
- Ensuring that consumers are aware of the benefits, both environmentally and economically of buying 'real' Irish Christmas trees.
- Encouraging growers to produce quality trees which will be graded according to the accepted standards.
- To promote the concept of 'real' Irish Christmas trees as a quality product both on the home market and abroad.
Role
The Association represents the interests of all the growers of Christmas trees in Ireland, who are members. Its role is to assist and help growers achieve their objectives by:-
- Organising Seminars on subjects that are helpful to the growing of Christmas trees.
- Arranging Field days for growers to discuss cultural and other management skills.
- Giving advice and direction to any members regarding the marketing of their trees.
- Establishing an Irish quality standard for 'real' Christmas trees by the appointment of a quality officer.
- Representing the members at Government level.
- Cooperating with Coford to ensure that research is ongoing.
- Producing a Newsletter at least twice yearly with articles that are helpful to the growing of Christmas trees.
- Organising, when the time seems appropriate, a Christmas Tree Fair so that growers may meet and make contacts regarding the disposal of their crop.
- Representing the Association to the media when required.
- Making use of Public Relations in Ireland and overseas as a tool to increase the appreciation of 'real' Irish Christmas Trees and assist in their marketing.
- Maintaining contacts with the members of the European, U.K. and American Christmas Tree Growers' Associations, so that, by exchanging views, the Irish Christmas tree will be enhanced.