NC’s Christmas tree industry — the second biggest in US — may be impacted by Helene
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Hurricane Helene Aftermath
Hurricane Helene swept across the Southeast, causing major flooding and destruction throughout North Carolina. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer about Hurricane Helene and the aftermath, particularly in Western North Carolina.
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North Carolina’s live Christmas tree industry — the second largest in the country — was not spared flood damage from Tropical Storm Helene, but industry officials remain hopeful there will be no “significant effect on supply.”
“It will take some time to fully assess the extent and implications of damage to Christmas tree farms affected by the hurricane, but our farmers have weathered the storm and are ready to persevere,” the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association said in a statement.
“At this point, we are still gathering information from our farmers regarding the extent that their farms were impacted by the storm. The next step will be working together to create a plan for harvest and shipping as we prioritize the safety and welfare of our farmers, their families, and their workers.”
That state is warning farmers to be cautious when visiting their fields “since crossovers or bridges to enter fields may have been compromised during the storm.”
It’s estimated N.C. has 1,300 growers raising Fraser firs on around 40,000 acres, most in the mountains. The crop accounts for about 20% of “Real Christmas Trees” sold in the country, the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association reports.
State agricultural officials say farmers growing a variety of fruits and vegetables in western North Carolina are reporting “impacts to fields in all landscape positions.” A field-by-field approach to assessing crops is being taken, officials said.
Henderson County’s farms were among the hardest hit, particularly the apple crop, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture reports.
“Most of the crops are gone. We are going to have some livestock mortality, there is no question about that,” North CarolinaAgriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler told Southeast Farm Press.
“In one case the river has changed course and is now going through the middle of a large bottomland up there so it’s dangerous to even try to get to the fields.”
This story was originally published October 14, 2024 at 4:55 AM with the headline "NC’s Christmas tree industry — the second biggest in US — may be impacted by Helene."
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