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The average price of a pumpkin rose sharply from 2021, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures reported by Hearst
Drought, transportation costs, inflation and fertilizer prices drove the increase, with fuel and fertilizer costs climbing after Trump’s war with Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz
Diesel prices in Connecticut, which affect the cost of trucking produce into the state, rose steeply over the past year
‘Tis the season to pick up a pumpkin for your Halloween décor. So why are pumpkins so expensive this year? The answer, ironically enough, is something else orange: Donald Trump.
Hearst CT media reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture lists the average price of a pumpkin at $6.20 this year, compared with about $4 in 2021 (+55%).
“Drought and extreme heat in parts of the country that are major pumpkin-producing regions have reduced crop yields, which can push prices higher. And if your pumpkin of choice wasn’t grown in Connecticut, there’s also the cost of transporting it to the Land of Steady Habits, including higher fuel costs. Inflation and rising costs for agricultural inputs such as fertilizer also are putting pressure on prices,” Hearst says.
Here’s why you’re paying so much this year for your ‘Trumpkin.”
**Global warming:**Trumprejectsscientific literature proving the Earth’s climate is rapidly warming.On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump signedexecutive orderswithdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international climate treaty signed by the U.S. and 140 other nations and adopted in 2015 aiming to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre‑industrial levels. Trump thenwithdrewfrom the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Trump’s Environmental Protection Agencyterminatedits 2009 greenhouse gas “endangerment finding”—strips the federal government of key regulatory authority over carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. Trump has alsopromoteda pro-fossil fuel strategy, opening millions of acres of public lands and waters for oil, gas, and coal leasing while freezing or cutting renewable energy programs, such as offshore wind turbines.**Higher diesel fuel costs:**One year ago, a gallon of diesel gas in Connecticut cost $3.76.Today, it’s $6.45. The reason? Trump’s Iran War has closed the Strait of Hormuz and caused aninternational oil shortage. The effect of these high fuel prices is felt in higher truck transportation costs for things like pumpkins, which are often brought in from other states.**Trump’s****Inflation:**U.S. inflation climbed 3.7% over the past year, driven by a 0.6% surge in September alone. Rising energy costs and the lingering conflict with Iran are drivingTrump’s inflation, which is not only increasing the price of pumpkins but also of natural gas, sulfur, jet fuel, rice, sugar, gasoline, cotton, palm oil, wheat and soybeans.Fertilizer costs: Fertilizer costshave spiked 40%since Trump’s Iran War closed the Strait of Hormuz (which transports 30% of the world’s fertilizer) and Trump instituted tariffs onCanadian potash.
By Lawrence Cook
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