The ongoing drought in the US has been affecting Christmas tree farms all over the country. According to Gizmodo, this year sees smaller tree yields and more dead trees.
This Year's Drought Greatly Impacted Christmas Tree Industry
Now that Thanksgiving is over, people start to prepare for Christmas. And one of the best ways to have that Christmas ambiance is to put up a Christmas tree at home.
But this year, Christmas trees might be a bit more expensive than they were before, as some farms shut down because of drought.
For instance, a tree farm in Meridian, Texas had to shut down its cutting field this month. According to the owners, the dry condition in the state is one of the reasons why they had to shut down the cutting field.
The owners said that it was a difficult decision to make, but they just don't have trees that will be pleasing to people.
Kathy Radde, co-owner of Radde Tannenbaum Farm in Texas, said to KCEN-TV, "We just knew it is better to lay out a year with cutting and give the trees a chance to be beautiful again."
Meanwhile, in Kansas, the Prairie Pines Christmas Tree Farm owner Kip Scott decided to open his cutting field for families the day after Thanksgiving.
But according to Scott, this year's drought has affected his crop as well. Out of the thousands of trees that he planted earlier this year, he lost about 75% of them to the dry season.
According to the American Farm Bureau Foundation, it takes around six to eight years for certain Christmas tree varieties to grow large enough to sell. The trees that have died would have grown and been available for customers in about five years.
Read Also: Head of UK's Environmental Agency Says People May Have to Drink Recycled Sewage Water Soon
Drought, Inflation Could Mean Higher Prices for Christmas Trees
According to Gizmodo, along with inflation, the impacts of drought will likely mean higher prices for Christmas trees in the market.
Customers can possibly expect around 5% to 20% increases in the price of artificial and live Christmas trees this year, one industry leader told Good Morning America, as cited by Gizmodo.
States along the Northeast were affected by the drought as well. This year, the state of Massachusetts was especially impacted by drought this year.
By mid-July, around 80% of the states in the US were experiencing moderate to severe drought. In fact, due to the hot and dry weather, one Christmas tree farmer lost more than 1,000 trees that he planted this spring. The farmer estimated that this is about a 95% loss from the Christmas trees he planted.
According to Tim O'Connor, the head of the National Christmas Tree Farm Association, the local farmers are working to determine quicker-growing holiday trees as well as varieties that need less water. He said that he is hoping that the practice will help make up for some of this year's losses.
Other industries are also affected by the ongoing drought. Growers of other crops such as tomato, onion, and garlic have lower yields this year as major water sources experience historically low levels.
The country could expect another super-dry winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. States such as Texas, Kansas, and California are expected to continue experiencing drier-than-average weather.
Related Article: US Drought Monitor: Online Tracker to Check Worsening Meteorological Conditions
