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ODA inspectors gear up for a busy Christmas tree season
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11/2/2011
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Article Content
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Many Oregon Christmas trees will be harvested before winter
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Nation's #1 producer of Christmas trees begins harvesting
It's barely November, but Oregon Christmas trees are already on their way to such destinations as Asia, Hawaii, and Mexico. In the next several weeks, Oregon will be sending its Christmas trees to many countries around the world as well as most US states. It's a frenzied time of year for growers and the Oregon Department of Agriculture inspectors who certify the trees as pest and disease free.
"We have two real hectic periods during the year- the nursery shipping season earlier in the year and the Christmas tree inspection that is taking place now," says ODA inspector Bev Clark, whose territory includes Yamhill County. "This time of year is extremely busy and our work is compressed because so many trees get inspected and shipped within a three week period."
Oregon's 750 growers are concentrated in the Willamette Valley, but there are licensed growers in many other counties, including some east of the Cascades. A perennial top ten agricultural sector in Oregon, Christmas trees have a production value of nearly $100 million.
Exports of Christmas trees remain important to the state's economy, and ODA is essential to those exports as inspectors check to make sure trees bound for other states and countries don't carry unwanted pests or diseases. Phytosanitary certificates signed by the inspector give the trees a clean bill of health and clear the way for shipment. Inspecting and issuing certificates will be a daily chore through mid-December. Inspectors don't look at every tree, but randomly walk through a representative part of the field looking for potential problems. Some of that inspection actually took place earlier this summer.
"Right now, I'm dealing mostly with trees being shipped to Mexico and Hawaii," says Clark. "I just certified the first load to Hawaii. It takes three weeks for those trees to get there and they want them in the stores by Thanksgiving."
Like other states and countries, Hawaii has concerns with pests that are on the quarantine list. In the past, yellowjackets have been a major pest on the watch list. This year, snails and slugs are becoming a bigger issue- but nothing Oregon growers can't deal with by using a mechanical shaker.
"One-hundred percent of the trees are required to be shaken once before they go into the container," says Clark. "Because of the snails and slugs, some growers are shaking trees twice."
Last year, Oregon harvested about 6.4 million trees- the lowest number in several years. However, Oregon remains the nation's leading producer of Christmas trees. About 87 percent are sold outside the state with approximately 15 percent going to other countries. The largest export market remains Mexico. Last year, 10 percent of Oregon's trees went to Mexico, down from 16 percent in 2008.
This year, the market south of the border is picking up once again, primarily due to Mexico suspending tariffs on US Christmas trees and other commodities. Last year, those tariffs reached 20 percent. Their elimination is making a big difference.
"Our certifications for Mexico have picked up this past week," says Gary McAninch, manager of ODA's Nursery and Christmas Tree programs. "With the tariff being dropped, more shippers are looking to get back into Mexico while those already shipping there are looking to move more trees. I think the big impact will take place next year when our growers are able to adjust their sales regimen after a full year of no tariffs."
McAninch expects the number of Oregon Christmas trees shipped to Mexico to increase in the years to come, but points out there are other factors that impact how many actually end up there.
"The regulations for certification of pests and diseases has a big impact, and Mexico is tighter now on what they will allow. We think we can meet those requirements now and in the future, but it's something growers need to consider. The exchange rate between the US dollar and the Mexican peso is also a factor. But the tariff was a huge impediment that is now out of the way."
Recent rainfall has kept Oregon Christmas trees moist and fresh, which is a bonus for those trees making a long journey. Placed into refrigerated containers for a three-week trans-Pacific boat ride, trees arriving in Asia keep their good green color and fragrant needles, and are ready for display.
"Many of those trees are going into hotels and department store displays," says McAninch. "The Christmas holiday is popular in many other parts of the world besides North America and Europe."
Domestically, the big market continues to be California, which purchases about 45 percent of Oregon's Christmas trees. It won't be long before harvested trees are placed on trucks heading down I-5 and into the population centers of Southern California, in particular.
Other western states, including neighboring Washington, receive 14 percent of Oregon's Christmas trees. About eight percent of Oregon's trees go to Texas and the gulf states.
The process for growers to obtain a much needed phytosanitary certificate has been eased the past couple of years with electronic applications. Growers are now directed to a US Department of Agriculture website to apply for the certificate. ODA inspectors visit that website daily to see who in their territory has applied, which helps them plan their workday accordingly. Both growers and inspectors have become more organized and the new system is much more efficient.
Meanwhile, ODA's 11 Christmas tree inspectors will stay extremely busy until about the first week of December, when shipments taper off. The harvest normally reaches its peak around the middle of November.
It may be a whirlwind of activity, but the hard work is just fine with the inspectors.
"I really enjoy doing this," says Clark, who often helps overloaded inspectors in other territories meet the demand for inspections. "It's a great time to be outdoors and doing something so important to the growers."
For more information, contact Gary McAninch at (503) 986-4644 or Bruce Pokarney at (503) 986-4559.
Story of the Week pdf version
http://oregon.gov/ODA/docs/pdf/news/111102christmas_trees.pdf
Audio Story of the Week
http://oregon.gov/ODA/news/111102christmas_trees_audio.shtml
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