B.C. Christmas tree supply chopped by drought, decline in growers

Drought and a declining number of farms have chopped the province’s Christmas tree supply this year, according to a group of local growers.

Larry Whitehead, director of the B.C. Christmas Tree Association, said some have estimated the shortage to be between 100,000 and 500,000 trees.

4:40 Christmas tree availability goes down, while prices go up

It’s a problem that’s likely been years in the making, he told Global News on Friday.

“It takes an average of six to 10 years to grow a tree, so the shortage that we’re experiencing today probably was caused by a lack of growers eight or 10 years ago.”

Catastrophic floods and a crippling heat dome in 2021 undoubtedly affected the supply as well, he added, and recent drought has caused many of the seedlings to fail. If the B.C. wants to remedy the problem, however, Whitehead said it must look long-term.

“Many growers are retiring and the price of land in B.C. is prohibitive to growing trees now,” the Surrey-based co-owner of Red Truck Trees explained.

“Many farms are owned by absentee owners, they’re vacant, they’re not being utilized.”

2:14 Christmas tree shortage for 2021

Leanna Anderson, co-owner of Aldor Acres Christmas Trees, agreed that the “industry is changing” with the times. Her’s is a fourth-generation farm in Langley.

“The real estate market is hot. They make a lot more money by selling the farm than by farming it,” she explained.

“Between the heat, the drought, the forest fires, the cost of everything from diesel, labour, feritilizer, seedlings — everything’s gone up. It is harder for somebody to start up.”

Despite shortages elsewhere, Anderson said her farm remains well-stocked and there’s no need to panic and rush the Christmas tree purchase.

“I know there is a high demand for trees but we’ve grown a lot of trees and we also bring a lot of trees in to supplement what we grow in our fields. So don’t panic, take your time, come in, enjoy,” she said.

1:45 Christmas tree shortage because too many producers leaving industry

According to Shirley Brennan, executive director of the Canadian Christmas Trees Association, Christmas trees are a $100-million annual industry in Canada with about $49 million worth of product exported mostly to the U.S.

The B.C. Christmas Tree Association is now asking the provincial government to help it encourage more growers to enter the industry. It will also set up an information booth at an agriculture show in January in an attempt to recruit new growers.

“In a province like British Columbia where there’s tons of trees growing in our mountainous regions, we should be able to grow enough trees to supply our local economy,” Whitehead said.