本周四就是美國傳統的感恩節。金黃色的南瓜派是美國家庭感恩節、圣誕節合家團圓享用大餐時的主要甜點，不過今年由于產地雨量過多收成驟減，美國人的感恩節餐桌上，可能看不到南瓜派了。

Pumpkin pies in jeopardy this Thanksgiving

All the rain the country has had this year is affecting what Americans can serve this Thanksgiving holiday.

Nestle, which supplies nearly all of the country's canned pumpkin under its brand name Libby, says its 5,000 acre pumpkin farm in Illinois was ruined by heavy rain this summer and will no longer be canning any more pumpkins this year.

That means there is a run on the key ingredient for pumpkin pie.

"Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins. It's sad that we don't have enough," said grocery shopper Chad Youngblood.

Shoppers were disappointed to hear that the popular Thanksgiving staple is hard to come by this year.

Erin Bagwell heard the news, put pumpkin on the list and headed out to the store hoping she'd strike pumpkin gold.

"My neighbor was probably more nervous because I make the cookies for him and it's his favorite cookie and thought well, we will see," she explained.

6 News shopped around town and checked out the pumpkin supply.

At the Food City near Papermill, we found Food City canned pumpkin but no Libby brand.

At the Kroger in Bearden, we found Kroger brand and some organic canned pumpkin.

At the Super Walmart in Turkey Creek we found plenty of the Libby brand.

And at the Super Target in Turkey Creek, there were no Libby cans but we did find organic which Target's manager says the store is cutting its price due to the shortage.

"The cost of organic pumpkin is almost twice as much as the Libby's but we continue to run it at a very low margin, actually under cost to take care of guests," said manager Bobby Cox.

What you see on the shelf or rather but you don't see is what you get through Thanksgiving but that doesn't mean the shelves will be empty through the holiday season.

Shipments are still coming in but they are few and far between.

Store managers say the shortage has more people reaching for frozen pumpkin pies and as far as they know that supply is safe.

Meanwhile, others are thinking of other sweet options.

"I had pumpkin bread that a friend of mine made earlier and I loved it and thought I am going to try that myself and now there is a shortage. So it might be back to the carrot cake," said shopper Beth laFontaine.

"I think we may just have to cancel Thanksgiving," joke Youngblood. "I think we will resort to pecan pie, cheesecake and the other things we do. But without pumpkin pie it is going to be a sad holiday."

Nestle says it won't have more canning until August when the 2010 harvest starts.

Cox says Starbucks which has pumpkin-flavored treats got its products this summer and should be fine.

(Agencies)

（英語點津 Julie編輯）