An anticipated Christmas tree shortage has some local farmers preparing for a potential rush on their crops this year. Christmas tree farmers are reducing their hours, opening and closing earlier than expected as the demand for trees outweighs the supply.
The shortage is, in part, due to a growing demand for trees in recent years. With families wanting their own trees, new Canadians embracing the annual tradition, and environmentally conscious people looking for natural products, the demand for trees has certainly increased.
“The industry in Canada went from a $53 million industry to a $100 million industry from 2015 to 2020,” states Shirley Brennan, Executive Director of the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario. “We could not have predicted that increase of people coming out for a new real tree.”
Farms that would stay open for the full season nearly three years ago, are now going out of stock early December. For example, Madeira Farms in Rockwood, Ontario closed early for the first-time last year, as 3,000 people flocked their 93-acre farm in a period of just 10 days of being open.
Aside from tree farms struggling to keep up with increased demand, adverse weather events have further limited the amount of fresh, live Christmas trees available this season.
Brennan explains that depending on the species, it takes anywhere between 8-12 years to get a mature tree from seed to harvest. A Christmas tree farmer sells about 30% of their crop per year, to have enough for the following year; however, the trees planted at the beginning of the boom are not yet ready to be sold.
Canadians may need to make some compromises this year due to the amount of supply versus demand. There are so many different species of trees, Brennan encourages Canadians to be open to trying new species for Christmas, rather than deal with the shortages of their favourite tree.