The state forest guard company Moldsilva has not retailed any fir trees this year as promised until on December 25, the Christmas Day, BASA learned from Moldsilva officials.

According to the sources, fir trees should be available for sale starting Tuesday, but they could not be transported from Moldsilva's remote woodlands with pine trees because of "unfavourable weather conditions."

The fir trees will be available for sale starting Thursday, they said.

Moldsilva will retail 31,000 fir trees and 4,000 pine trees in Moldova this year. A 1-1.5-metre fir tree will cost about 30 lei (2.3 dollars). A branch will cost five lei. Trees with whole roots will be sold at orders only because of high prices.

Moldsilva will retail fir trees for the winter holidays so late for the first time. Residents of Chisinau who celebrate the Christmas on December 25 could buy fir trees on Wednesday only in two or three places in the central food market of the capital, where they were retailed by Ukrainian or local individuals who have bought fir trees directly from Moldsilva's regional agencies and sold them later more expensive.