The fallen needles of the long-coniferous pine, which grows mainly in the southeastern region of the country, are brown rather than gold. But they may well be considered “gold”, as they are collected and sold to amateur gardeners to cover and protect the soil of garden plots.
This type of agricultural industry has a turnover of up to $ 200 million per year. Of the three pine species, long-coniferous needles are the most valued, experts say, “due to their unusually long length and high resin content, making them an attractive water-repellent coating for garden soil.” The color of the needles does not fade over time, they are bypassed by termites, and therefore they are sold at a higher price than the wood shavings used for the same purpose.
Long-coniferous pine trunks are flat and straight and are in high demand in the logging industry. In the past, this led to their intensive felling, but today it turned out to be more profitable not to chop down pines, but to collect their needles. An acre of pine forest could be sold for clearing for $ 4,000, but only once. And the needles from that acre bring in $ 1,200 annually, says one pine farm owner in North Carolina. Now the area of pine forests in the region is 7300 sq. miles.
Newspaper headline:
“Golden” needles