Shipping trees across the state line is important. Oregon simply doesn't have the population to consume all that it grows. According to the Oregon Agricultural Statistics Service, the industry produced 8.6 million trees in 1997. Oregonians probably consume no more than a few hundred-thousand trees. The rest find homes outside of Oregon.
Most growers prefer to feed the heavy appetite of the U.S. market first.
But exports are important. That strategy helps keep prices competitive. Ostlund says field prices for trees this year are fantastic as the demand is strong. There is no need to overreact to market demand. The Asian economic crisis has dampened some of the demand for Oregon Christmas trees across the Pacific.