Bountiful U.S. 2016 pumpkin crop
overcomes last year's shortfall
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[September 26, 2016]
By Theopolis Waters
CHICAGO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Halloween
enthusiasts need not take fright over the state of this year's U.S.
pumpkin crop. Supplies of the orange-yellow fruit are much more
plentiful than last year, easing concerns of a possible shortage for
carving jack-o'-lanterns and buying filling for pumpkin pies.
U.S. store supplies of canned pumpkin have almost overcome the effects
of last year's shortage, which was caused by damage to crops from heavy
rains in parts of the Midwest.
"We're rebuilding our inventory right now and as soon as we have enough
pumpkin canned we'll begin releasing the 2016 Libby's pumpkin to our
retail partners," said Roz O'Hearn, spokeswoman for Libby's, supplier of
more than 80 percent of U.S. canned pumpkin. "So by end of the month,
the 2015 shortage will be behind us."
For Illinois farmer Mark Berg, who grows roughly 120 acres of pumpkins
for Libby's, 2016 promises to be a pumpkin-palooza.
Berg has just wrapped up his harvest ahead of schedule, averaging 30
tons of pumpkins per acre, well above his historical average of 25 tons
and worth about $500 per acre.
Last year, he harvested just two to three tons per acre and revenue fell
short of $100 per acre.
"You have to take the good with the bad. This year we're fortunate,"
said Berg, attributing his good fortune to sufficient rains and
above-average heat this summer.
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Last year's U.S. pumpkin harvest totaled 754 million pounds valued
at $90 million, the smallest crop since the U.S. Department of
Agriculture began tracking the sector in 2000.
Illinois, which typically produces about 90 percent of the United
States' canned or processed pumpkins, last year harvested only 318
million pounds of pumpkin worth $12 million, according to USDA.
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University of Illinois plant pathologist Mohammad Babadoost said
this year, Illinois' average pumpkin yields could be above 22 tons
per acre.
Nonetheless, with the harvest possibly stretching into November and
vulnerable to weather, Babadoost remains cautious after heavy rains
in 2015 spawned various diseases that robbed Illinois producers of
nearly half their expected yield.
Added Libby's spokeswoman O'Hearn: "So far, we appear to be in much
better shape than we were in 2015." Harvesting for Libby's, a unit
of Swiss-based Nestle SA, started last month. (Editing by Jo
Winterbottom and Matthew Lewis)
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