How Much Will You Pay For A Pumpkin?

We were talking about it recently – the effect this summer’s drought across the country would have on pumpkin prices.  It depends on where you live.  Locally it turns out there’s plenty of pumpkins and the prices aren’t all that bad either.  They’re up a little bit over last year, but I got a couple of nice pumpkins at Wegman’s.  They had ‘em priced at $6.00.  Take a drive out to the country and you’ll find houses along some of the backroads with a whole bunch of ‘em out in front of their houses for sale for probably less than that.

The local pumpkin patch isn’t the problem.  You’ll find the highest prices at the big box stores if that’s where you decide to buy your pumpkins.  Many of them get their pumpkins from national distributors and they’re paying about the same average price as in other parts of the country.  So if they’re paying high prices inTexas – you’ll be paying it too.

Across the country the drought hit the pumpkin crop hard.  There’s about 30 percent fewer pumpkins this year and it means the prices will be up.

Estimates are those prices will be up 10 to 20 percent, and further into the season it could go up as much as 30 to 60 percent.  You could see some higher end pumpkins up around $40.00.  I can’t ever imagine paying $40.00 for a pumpkin.  So probably a good idea to buy yours early.

Here in Western New York there are plenty of pumpkins.  They’re just a little smaller than normal.  And some farmers are saying the prices are only moderately higher than last year.