A video featuring Stephen Meyers, an assistant professor of weed science in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University, has been uploaded to the AP Video Hub. In the video, he talks about how pumpkin yields have been impacted by drought and what consumers can expect this October. This video can be found at https://bit.ly/3RTOWlP.
Meyers says that pumpkin yields may be slightly below average this year but that he does not expect a pumpkin shortage. He says there will be plenty of pumpkins for people to pick and purchase in the state of Indiana. Indiana is one of the nation's largest pumpkin producers, cultivating around 6,000 acres each year.
The majority of Indiana's commercial pumpkin crop is sold into the "fresh market," meaning a consumer buys the whole pumpkin the way it comes off the vine rather than processed into consumables like canned pumpkin or pumpkin seeds. While genetics play a key role in a pumpkin's potential size, the festive fall vegetable's growth relies heavily on timely summer rainfall. Meyers says drought conditions in June delayed pumpkin harvesting in some areas but ultimately have not led to a major shortage.
As for pumpkin prices, he says they will vary from seller to seller. Fertilizer, labor and pesticides are more expensive this year, compared to last year, but Meyers says he is unsure how much that will be passed on to consumers.
Categories: Indiana, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables, Harvesting