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CALGARY — Holiday shoppers might have to fork over a little more for the evergreen scent of a natural Christmas tree this year as a shortage south of the border and increased demand for real trees put pressure on prices.

Canadian Christmas tree farmers are raising prices as much as 10 per cent as the effect of market forces making firs, pines and spruces sparse in the U.S. spills over into Canada.

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Jimmy Downey, president of the Quebec Christmas Tree Growers Association, said it’s a relief that he’s been able to raise his wholesale price by about 10 per cent this year.

“It’s the first time we can raise our prices in a good eight year, ten years,” he said.

“The cost of fertilizer, the cost of labour was always on the rise, so players that weren’t efficient had to sell out their farms.”

Eastern Canada should have plenty of trees this year, but British Columbia, which has generally imported trees from the U.S., might see some shortages, Downey said.