Caleb Neri, owner of the H-Town Pumpkin Patch in Houston, said drought made it harder than usual to get pumpkins this year. He said he had to buy from big box competitors, and that it is "probably almost double" the cost.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for Floyd County said pumpkin production there fell 30 to 40% because of drought. Floyd County, home of Floydada, is known as the Pumpkin Capital of Texas. The area saw moderate to severe drought near the start of the growing season.
Bernadette Woods Placky, executive director of the nonprofit Talking Climate Collaborative, said the drought is a result of climate change. She said a warmer atmosphere pulls moisture from the ground more quickly. Placky said pumpkin production is being hit by both too much water, as in Canada, and drought, as in Texas. Neri said heat can cause pumpkins already picked to spoil.