OSLO Tuesday October 13 (Reuters)
- Christmas trees are getting standardized in Norway, a nation
largely blanketed by pine forests, as part of a battle to curb
imports from neighboring Denmark.
Under the new three-class system,
only straight trees with a single tip, regular shape and color
and free of artificial insecticides or fertilizers will be rated
``first class.''
``We want to rate our trees to
guarantee quality for consumers and stimulate exports,'' Finn
Hjalmar Andersen, spokesman of the Norwegian Standards Association,
said on Monday. ``Christmas trees have never had standards before
in Norway.'' |
Norway consumes 1.5 million trees
a year but 500,000 of them are imported from Denmark. Trees grow
better on Danish farmland and are cheaper to harvest than in
Norwegian mountains.
Under the voluntary guidelines,
Christmas trees should be felled after November 20 and have a
label showing the date of harvest. Trees with curved trunks or
uneven branches would be rated ``third class.''
The Association sets standards
for everything from cycle safety helmets to food packaging. Next
year it plans to set guidelines for earthquake-proof buildings
-- even though quakes hardly ever happen in Norway.
Copyright © 1998 Reuters Limited. |