5 December, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Christmas tree markets will open in the Vitebsk region on December 17, Oleg Gritskevich, leading engineer for secondary forest use and subsidiary agriculture of the Vitebsk Regional Production Forestry Association (PLHO), told a BELTA correspondent. The sale of trees will be organized in every district center of the region, agro-towns, as well as at the forestries of the forestries. It will not be difficult for residents of the regional center to buy a New Year's fir or pine tree: the opening of 20 Christmas tree markets is planned in the city, the network of which will cover all microdistricts of the city. Extended sales will take place on December 24 and 30. Vitebsk, Shumilino, Glubokoe, Surazh, Liozno, Lepel, Tolochin, Begoml, Ushachi, and Polotsk forestries will offer New Year's green beauties to Vitebsk residents. The cost of trees up to 1 m high will be Br25 thousand, up to 2 m - Br35 thousand, up to 3 m - Br55 thousand. In addition, the Glubokoe forestry will bring about 120 blue spruces in tubs to the Christmas tree markets in Vitebsk, the price of elite trees will be Br100-150 thousand. In total, at the pre-New Year's fairs, the region's forestries plan to sell over 40 thousand firs and pines. Increased attention will be paid to measures for the protection of Christmas tree plantations from illegal logging in the last decade of the month. Forest patrols will begin in the region on December 23. At the same time, in addition to forestry workers, raid groups will include employees of the traffic police, tax authorities, the regional committee for natural resources and environmental protection, and other interested departments.-0-

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