Halloween May Be Pumpkin-Less For Some As Shortage, High Prices Strike

The quintessential symbol of Halloween may be missing this season as there is a shortage of pumpkins in some areas of the country due to weather issues, shipping problems, and a spreading fungus that is plaguing several parts of the nation.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pumpkin prices have jumped compared to 2020.

Data from the USDA indicated that in the second week of September, a jack-o’-lantern pumpkin, also known as a Howden pumpkin, was selling for $5.17, up 7% from the same time last year at $4.83.

The top producing states for pumpkins, according to the USDA, are Illinois, California, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia, with more than 1 billion pumpkins grown in the six states combined.

Illinois, which produces 80% to 90% of U.S. pumpkins, may not have as fruitful of a harvest this year as a fungus is taking over some of its crop, KSDK, an NBC affiliate out of St. Louis, Missouri, reported.

University of Illinois crop scientist Dr. Mohammad Babadoost told KSDK, “When you’re ready for Thanksgiving and you’re looking for that canned pumpkin, or if you’re trying to buy it right now, you might not find the canned pumpkin on the shelves.”

In other parts of the country, the weather has been affecting pumpkin harvests.

Droughts in California are affecting crops, while in some regions, migratory birds and viruses are impacting pumpkin harvest levels, WKRN, an ABC affiliate out of Nashville, Tennessee, said.

“Overall, it's not good,” Lyra Marble, owner of Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in Culver City, California, told WKRN. “This year is the hardest I’ve seen for Californian-grown pumpkins.”

Other pumpkin shortages have been reported in North Carolina and Kansas, with specialty pumpkins coming at a premium.

"In some cases, prices have doubled," Marty Martinez of California's Orchard Nursery told KGO, an ABC affiliate out of San Francisco. "Especially for the specialty white ones. They can be hard to come by."

Other issues pumpkin producers are dealing with include a lack of labor and COVID-related shipping delays, Good Morning America reported.

According to the National Retail Federation, 44% of Americans’ Halloween plans include carving a pumpkin.