Despite drought, there are plenty of low-priced pumpkins

The summer drought proved a horror story for many Midwest pumpkin growers who saw their crops die on the vine.

But area growers say consumers won't have anything to scream about this Halloween when it comes to picking pumpkins.

Even with lower yields, there are still plenty of pumpkins to carve and prices are about the same as last year -- typically about 20 cents a pound retail, growers say. An 18-pound pumpkin sells for about $3.50.

Competition nationwide keeps prices low, said Lewis Jett, University of Missouri-Columbia horticulturist. The competition is so widespread because pumpkins can be shipped anywhere.

"They have a tremendous shelf life," he said.

Nationwide, about 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins will be produced on 75,000 acres. Pumpkin sales nationally are expected to total more than $150 million, Jett said.

But the summer drought cut into pumpkin yields for some growers in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

"I'm just happy to have them at all," said grower Terry Boyd at his pumpkin patch and orchard near Anna, Ill.

Boyd and other Illinois growers say the pumpkin harvest has fared better than that of other drought-weary crops like apples, corn and soybeans, although some say the uncooperative weather has made pumpkins a bit taller and thinner than usual.

Drought and a virus wiped out most of Ted Lanpher's 20-acre crop south of Delta this year.

"I didn't get a ton an acre," said Lanpher, who typically harvests about 10 tons of pumpkins an acre.

Lanpher, who sells pumpkins wholesale to Schnucks for 10 cents a pound, has thought about quitting the business. But after raising pumpkins for 20 years, he still isn't ready to give up growing a vegetable he knows is fragile and difficult to grow.

"I am going to try one more year," he said.

Drought cut into yields at Donnie Beggs' pumpkin patch near Sikeston, Mo. Beggs, who began harvesting his pumpkins late last month, said his 20 acres have yielded about 500 pumpkins an acre, about half the normal yield.

"With the yields being down, we are losing money," he said.

"It is either feast or famine," said Beggs. "You have a really good crop or a really bad one."

Despite the drought and a squash bug infestation, the pumpkin harvest has been about average in Missouri, said Jett, the horticulturist.

Pumpkins are the sixth-largest vegetable crop grown in Missouri in terms of planted acreage, Jett said. About 75 commercial growers raise pumpkins on 1,500 acres.

Missouri pumpkin growers fared better than their counterparts in Illinois and Indiana, where the drought was more severe, Jett said.

"Illinois and Indiana are two of the largest pumpkin-producing states, but they're going to have a smaller harvest this year," he said

Pioneer Orchard in Jackson has no complaints about its 12-acre crop of pumpkins. Growers there say it's been a good harvest.

At Benton, Mo., grower David Diebold and his crew have been busy harvesting pumpkins including ones weighing 150 pounds or more.

Despite the drought, Diebold expects a good harvest of pumpkins to be sold for jack-o'-lanterns.

"We sell a lot of pumpkins," he said. "People like that natural thing."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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