Be prepared to pay more for your Christmas tree this year

BATON ROUGE – Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier every year as people get excited about the season.

At A’s Trees on Perkins Road, the Fraser firs have been flying off the stands.

Owner Jody Estain says though the demand is there, the supply is having a hard time catching up.

“There’s a shortage of trees from nine-feet and above, but we have plenty of nine-foot-and-below trees,” said Estain.

The shortage was caused by past years, when farmers planted fewer trees due to the 2008 recession and a market surplus. Trees only grow about a foot a year.

And prices are also going up.

“Compared to last year, it’s a small percentage, but our trees guaranteed a lower price than everybody else,” he said.

A nine-footer at A’s Trees will cost you around $160 — about 50 dollars less than at the big box stores. That’s because Estain grows his own trees in North Carolina.

“We actually chopped these trees down roughly about eight days ago in a snow storm,” Estain said.

The best advice he has is if you want a real tree, get one now.