10/31/05 Pumpkin purchase trends

One of Halloween's most enduring symbols is the Jack-O-Lantern. Whether decorated or carved, Jack-O-Lanterns set the ambiance for Halloween night. Haven't bought a pumpkin yet? No fear, according to U.S.D.A. economist Gary Lucier. Although many areas of the nation suffered drier than normal conditions to grow pumpkins, what the consumer will find is this & LUCIER: This year, there's going to be plenty of pumpkins. In general, there isn't a whole lot of difference in the prices of pumpkins from a year ago. That is impressive considering the price to transport pumpkins from field to stores and retailers has increased dramatically since last year. However, it might be noted that those consumers that have yet to buy a pumpkin might be hard pressed in some areas to purchase that very large potential Jack-O-Lantern. That may seem strange considering our region of the U.S. has grown several world record sized pumpkins. But it follows a trend found in major pumpkin growing regions such as the Upper Midwest, Northeast, and South. That according to Michigan based horticultural expert Hannah Stevens. STEVENS: It's an average crop. But the fruit size itself is smaller, overall. Now that may not be a bad thing. People are kind of downsizing now in a lot of different respects, so a smaller pumpkin isn't necessarily a bad thing. And that is a sentiment shared by another pumpkin expert, New York's Bob King. KING: Overall, it's an average crop. There won't be as many big pumpkins to go around because of the hot and dry spell basically reduced the size, but there should enough pumpkins to go around for everyone. Why is that? Even though the size of this year's average pumpkin may be smaller than usual, and crop projections are average, Stevens says the main point of note is the number of growers. STEVENS: But we have more people growing pumpkins and so there's no shortage of pumpkin. Gary Lucier backs Stevens' claim by saying the number of U.S. pumpkin growers has increased by twenty per cent over the last eight years. So while there are not as many large traditional Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins, Lucier says there are other options to consider. LUCIER: Then you have pie type pumpkins. Only about fifteen per cent of the pumpkin acreage is harvested for processing and for the traditional pie filling. But perhaps the big winner in this year's pumpkin derby is the small decorative type pumpkins. Those have become increasingly popular with consumers who want a Halloween or fall décor without dealing with a huge pumpkin and everything that goes with it.