Looking for a natural Christmas tree? Growers who are part of a federal forestry program will have more than 466,000 available this season.

The National Forestry Commission (Conafor) said in a statement that the top producing states are México and Mexico City, which will see a yield this season of 200,000 and 160,884 trees respectively.

There are 431 producers in 19 states who receive federal support to grow the trees on a total of 5,172 hectares.

The federal program promotes the use of non-forest land and land that has not been used for agricultural purposes. It also intended to help discourage the poaching of wild trees.

The production of the pine trees is a sustainable activity: the number of trees planted every season equals the number harvested. It also offers year-round employment.

Conafor said the trees are harvested at five to eight years, and plantations have a yield of 2,000 to 4,000 trees per hectare.

Source: Informador (sp)