President Authorizes Strategic Pumpkin Reserve Release as Prices Climb
As Thanksgiving draws closer, concerns about the rising costs of the holiday meal has many Americans questioning whether they will be able to afford their pumpkin pies. Libby’s, the top producer of canned pumpkin in the US, warned that pumpkin harvesting has been challenging this year due to significant rainfall in the Midwest. Many pumpkin fields are flooded and equipment is getting stuck. The added moisture has also increased fungus growth, spoiling most of the pumpkins harvested. The shortage of pumpkin has lead to a sharp increase in canned pumpkin prices. The President, already focused on his re-election bid, has heard the panicked call of voters and has authorized the release of canned pumpkin from the Strategic Pumpkin Reserve. The US Department of Agriculture maintains the emergency reserve to provide more supply when needed and to stabilize pumpkin prices during periods of emergency. Congress created the Strategic Pumpkin Reserve after the pumpkin price shocks in the Fall of 2009 when similar harvest troubles caused a shortage of canned pumpkin and left many Thanksgiving meals in ruins.