What’s the story behind the recent very tight supplies of real Christmas trees? Gary Crawford tells us in today’s This Land of Ours.
Shop early to find that perfect Christmas tree before they’re all gone. Shoppers are hearing that message a lot this year, but why? Well, Tim O’Connor with the National Christmas Tree Association says most growers these days are making a profit. But it was a different story 10 to 15 years ago.
“At that time, the growers were not profitable. They were in an oversupply situation,” he said. “Too many trees had been planted for the demand that existed. And growers were selling at below break even prices.”
So, they cut plantings of new trees, and that has produced tight supplies of trees over the last couple of years. O’Connor says, though, never fear.
“You know, we will see more trees come into the marketplace in the future. They’re planted, they’re growing and in the not too distant future, there will be more trees to harvest every year than we’re currently experiencing,” he said.
The question is, will there be a demand for those additional trees so growers can sell them at a profit?
“Or will it create another oversupply situation and start another cycle down?” O’Connor asked.
We’ll know in a couple of years.
Gary Crawford for the US Department of Agriculture
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.