Summer droughts leave Christmas tree farms in short stock

The Grinch isn’t stealing any Christmas trees this year, drought conditions are.

That is according to Art Knapp’s Prince George owner Jos Van Hage, who said the lack of rain in the last couple of summers has taken its toll on the live Christmas tree stock.

“We are cut back a little bit,” he said. “The main reasons are labour, transportation, and drought. Especially [drought] last year, the production is down from the growers.”

Van Hage said the quality of trees has not declined, but he recommended “don’t wait until the last week. Last year too, we ran out the last week before Christmas. This year the way it looks, the same thing is probably going to happen.”

While supply is down, demand is also slightly down, as many people’s budgets are tighter this year than normal.

Art Knapp’s prices are the same as a year ago, according to Van Hage premium, full size noble fir trees can cost up to $300, while a “Charlie Brown Tree” can be purchased for 40 bucks.

This summer saw the province’s worst drought ever recorded by a wide margin, most of the province was in a level 4-5 drought for most of the summer – the northeastern part of the province is still in severe drought.

“I think there are a lot of people now that have had an artificial tree for quite a few years now who are saying ‘it is nice to go back to the old days when we got a fresh tree,'” Van Hage said.

He added many people go into (properly designated areas of) the forest to cut down their own Christmas tree, “the convenience is going to a store, but I like it when people go out with their kids in the field for a day and cut their own too. There is nothing wrong with that!”