Irish-grown Christmas tree will spruce up your home

HOUSEHOLDERS are being encouraged to support Irish forestry owners and tree suppliers this year by thinking local when choosing their Christmas tree. Over four million Christmas trees were imported into Europe last year, so buyers are urged to check with suppliers to make sure their tree has been grown at home. Speaking from Strasbourg, home to a huge Christmas market, Labour MEP Phil Prendergast said there are good opportunities for business development in the area of Christmas trees. 'It takes between seven and ten years for a tree to grow two metres, but Irish soil is particularly conducive to producing high-quality trees. And after all, Christmas is never cancelled, so you can plan for the future.' The Irish Christmas tree market is worth €15 million to forestry owners. Over 700,000 trees are being harvested this year by around 100 Irish growers, but half of this crop is going to the overseas market. 'Angel' investors may help SMEs expand Small and medium-sized firms hoping to expand overseas could soon benefit from investment funds and mentoring, under a draft EU plan. MEPs in Strasbourg have voted in favour of proposals to provide financial and technical help to SMEs seeking to break into overseas markets. Ireland has 230,000 SMEs, accounting for 98 per cent of all Irish private sector firms. However, 75 per cent of these do not export goods or services abroad. Speaking from the European Parliament, Labour MEP Emer Costello said most firms need assistance to grow their business globally. 'We have called for proper access to information for SMEs so that if they're looking to break into foreign markets they know where to go, how to go about it and where to get financial backing,' said Ms Costello. The MEPS have also proposed an 'angel investing' system, which would involve entrepreneurs providing support and seed capital investment to allow SMEs to grow in a global context.