It’s the season for pumpkins, but short crops could mean
higher
prices at the market, say University of Georgia scientists.

“Our Georgia crop looks good if they got adequate rain
or were irrigated,” said Terry Kelley, an Extension Service
horticulturist with the UGA College of Agricultural and
Environmental
Sciences.

Diseases and Viruses in Crop

“We
always battle disease, and we had worse problems than normal this
year with viruses,” he said.

Because of this year’s drought, nonirrigated pumpkins were
smaller and fewer.

The weather across the country affects us more than our own,
Kelley said, because Georgia markets import most of their
pumpkins.
Georgia farmers grow 400 to 500 acres of pumpkins annually.

Problems in Tennessee and North Carolina,
Too

“Tennessee’s crop is very low,” Kelley said.
“North
Carolina’s crop was affected by the drought early on and then
by the hurricane. So local consumers are likely to see higher
prices than normal this year.”

Early wholesale prices this fall are almost double their
normal
range. At Rick’s Farmers Market in Marietta, prices varied from
99 cents for small ornamental pumpkins to $17 for large
pumpkins.

“We either got no rain or, when it rained, it
flooded,”
said Jeff Champion, a salesman at Rick’s. “So there are
fewer
pumpkins in the field, and the ones we get are smaller and the
prices higher.”

Prices May Drop Later

“It’s still early,” Kelley said. “So as supply
increases, the prices may go down. But I’m sure that price
reflects
the anticipated short crop.

If the wholesale price holds, the retail price can be expected
to remain higher, too.

“It really depends on where the supplies are coming
from,”
Kelley said. “If markets have their own crop, it could be
cheaper.”

Pumpkin Pickin’ = Family Fun

Many Georgians see pumpkin buying as a chance for a family
outing. The entertainment and family time may still be worth the
higher price. Some pumpkin farms offer petting zoos, hay rides
and other family fun.

For a good list of fresh-market pumpkin dealers, check the
Georgia Farm Bureau web site at www.gfb.org. Click on “Farm
Mkts.” The site offers details of what each market offers
and a map with directions to the farm markets in your area.

(Photos by Faith Peppers)