Contact: Krissy Young, (202) 690-8123
Statistical Highlights: 2005 Pumpkin Harvest Bountiful, USDA Reports Production Numbers On The Rise
WASHINGTON,
Oct. 16, 2006 - U.S. farmers had a bountiful pumpkin
harvest in 2005, producing almost 1.09 billion pounds of
pumpkins, up 6.2 percent from 2004. Continuing the pumpkin's
reign as a popular seasonal food and decoration, sales were up in 2005 and
the value of production increased to more than $105 million, $2 million more
than the previous year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) collects data on U.S. pumpkin production
and publishes it in the annual USDA Vegetables Summary ,
released in January. Among the highlights and trends from the
2005 summary:
• The volume and value of U.S. pumpkin production
have increased steadily in recent years. Production grew from
815 million pounds in 2003 to 1.02 billion pounds in 2004 and
1.09 billion in 2005. Value of production also climbed from
$81 million in 2003 to more than $103 million in 2004 and more
than $105 million in 2005.
• In 2005, Illinois was number one among the top
five pumpkin producing states, with almost 4.97 million pounds,
followed by California with almost 1.6 million pounds, Ohio
with 1.33 million pounds, Pennsylvania with 1.31 million pounds
and Michigan with 854 thousand pounds.
• The top five states for value of pumpkin production
in 2005 were Ohio with $26.1 million, New York at $21.9 million,
Pennsylvania at $16.2 million, Illinois with slightly over
$16 million and California with nearly $14.4 million.
• Producers harvested 44,700 acres of pumpkins
in 2005, down from 45,500 the year before. The top five states
for harvested acres were Illinois with 12,900 acres, Pennsylvania
with 7,500 acres, Ohio with 7,400 acres, Michigan with 6,100
acres and California with 5,500 acres.
