Dive Brief:
- After a disappointing harvest threatened a pumpkin shortage last year, this year's crop bounced back, so the shortage is officially over, according to a harvest forecast from canned pumpkin maker Libby's.
- Libby's yields reduced by half last year due to the shortage, so this year, the company planted more seeds on additional acreage to avoid the same issues this year.
- Thanks to more favorable growing conditions this year, Libby's yields are expected to be average or even above average, just in time for the fall and holiday baking season.
Dive Insight:
Consumers and manufacturers can breathe a collective sigh of relief that last year's pumpkin shortage is officially over. Consumers often use pumpkin in sweet and savory recipes, and this time of year is massively popular for pumpkin or pumpkin spice-based products from brands across the board.
Despite the pumpkin shortage last year, there didn't seem to be a shortage of pumpkin-flavored products. It could be that manufacturers leaned more on pumpkin spice rather than whole pumpkins, so the shortage didn't impact their production.
The shortage may also not have been as dire as some made it out to be. Last year, one expert told Food Dive that demand was going to drive whether anyone would feel this shortage in their kitchen, because normal or slow demand wouldn't be enough to constrict the pumpkin supply entirely.