Another bad effect of the drought.
Pumpkin production in Texas has been sliced nearly in half by the drought; and while retailers might find enough pumpkin substitutes in other states, the price could be higher and the size of the gourd may be smaller.
“It’s kind of a bear this year,” said Nando Gonzalez, a partner in River City Produce in San Antonio who has called on growers as far away as California and Michigan to provide specialty pumpkins for contracts he normally fills with homegrown pumpkins.
“It’s a lot harder (to find pumpkins) this year than it’s been in the last 20 years,” Gonzalez said.
He’s paying about 10 percent to 12 percent more for pumpkins than he did last year — and additional transportation costs for out-of-state pumpkins could make it even worse.
Truly a sad state of affairs.