Inflation drives up B.C. Christmas tree prices

Some Christmas tree growers are raising prices by about $1 per foot.

The holiday tradition of picking and buying a fresh Christmas tree is going to cost more this year, and you can blame inflation.

Christmas tree growers and sellers have not been spared rising prices, with costs for seedlings, fertilizer, and fuel skyrocketing this past year. But some sellers are trying to keep prices in check by limiting price hikes as much as they can.

“Everything’s gone up,” said Leanna Anderson of Aldor Acres. “Insurance has doubled, taxes are up, fuel, wages and fertilizer are all up.”

The third-generation family-owned Langley farm had to raise the prices of most of its fir varieties by $1 a foot, but it’s keeping the price of the Douglas firs the same to ease the pinch on consumers.

“We are trying to keep it reasonable, so we are making less for ourselves so others can enjoy it,” she said.

At Aunt Leah’s Place Christmas tree lots, fresh trees were delivered this week in preparation for this weekend, traditionally the busiest time for Christmas tree sellers.

The trees are the largest source of revenue for the non-profit’s housing and programs, which help young mothers and kids in foster care. To meet it’s fundraising target, they had to raise some of its prices by about a buck per foot.

“Unfortunately, we are not immune to what’s happening in the world,” said executive director Sarah Stewart, adding prices have also risen for other expenses related with putting up their three tree lots in Vancouver, Coquitlam and Burnaby, including shipping, fence and lumber costs.

Tree prices start at $12 per foot for the more economical interior Douglas fir and going up to $19 per foot for the Noble, Fraser and Nordmann firs. Decking your halls with a nine-foot Noble fir, for example, would cost about $150.

Prices of fresh-cut trees in B.C. range from $10 to $20 per foot depending on the species and location of the retailer, said Larry Whitehead, owner of Red Truck Trees in Surrey and a director with the B.C. Christmas Trees Association.

Only 20 per cent of Christmas tree demand in B.C. is supplied by local growers. Many retailers import fresh-cut trees from eastern Canada,  Washington, Oregon and North Carolina.

“With our Canadian dollar trading around U.S. 73 cents and diesel fuel prices at an all time high, it’s no wonder that some retailers have increased the price of their trees,” he said.

The industry group anticipates B.C.-grown trees will be in short supply this holiday season. Many growers have retired and new owners have opted against growing Christmas trees, which could take eight to 10 years before farmers can reap the financial benefit.

Extreme weather, including the heat dome, flooding and drought, the last two years have also exacerbated the shortage.

Shirley Brennan, executive director of the Canadian Christmas Trees Association said prices have gone up an average of 10 per cent across Canada, due to rising fuel, fertilizer and other supplies.

At the same time, demand from fresh trees has been on the rise, said Brennan, fuelled by younger consumers who prefers natural trees over plastic.  Some farms in the B.C. Interior have closed for the season because they are sold out of their trees.

“Demand is up. We are seeing a lot more people, and retailer are selling out faster,” she said. “They want to increase the orders, but can’t because we don’t have the trees.”

What’s the solution? Certainly not artificial trees, said local farmers.

Artificial trees are imported, primarily from China, and takes 100 years to break down in the landfill while local trees are a renewable resource that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen and can be chipped and turned into potting material after the holidays.

In a bid to encourage new farmers to enter the industry, the B.C. Christmas Trees Association is holding an information booth at the upcoming Pacific Agricultural Show at the Abbotsford Tradex in January. Whitehead also wants the agriculture ministry to help growers by providing education and incentives.

The B.C. Christmas tree industry is estimated at $11 million in 2021, more than double what it was in 2017. In Canada, Christmas trees are a $163-million industry.

chchan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/cherylchan

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