NATCHEZ &8212; Halloween is just two weeks away and produce salesmen are worried about their pumpkin sales.

In an Oct. 5 associated press article from Massachusetts, pumpkin shoppers in New England have to buy their pumpkins from places like Canada, New York and Ohio.

The reason is because the pumpkins, usually locally grown, didn&8217;t grow due to heavy rainfall in May and June in New England.

According to the article, some pumpkin seeds in the ground did not even germinate because it was so wet.

Sharon Greer, coordinator of the Miss-Lou Maze Craze in Vidalia, said she had a hard time getting pumpkins for the maze pumpkin patch.

&8220;The first attempt to get pumpkins failed because the farmer&8217;s pumpkins had a disease,&8221; Greer said.

Greer said the farm where the diseased pumpkins were was in West Monroe.

&8220;I had to get our batch from the farmer&8217;s market in Jackson,&8221; Greer said.

As far as sales are concerned, Greer said she doesn&8217;t seem to have a problem.

&8220;Most of our pumpkin sales are generated from children from the area&8217;s schools coming out to the maze on field trips,&8221; Greer said. &8220;The kids really get excited when they come out here and learn that they can take their own pumpkins home and carve jack-o-lanterns.&8221;

Natchez Market Supervisor Chuck Parker said he is seeing the sales of pumpkins go up at the Market locations in the Miss-Lou.

&8220;We&8217;ve had to order two or three shipments for some of our stores already,&8221; Parker said.

Parker said he orders about 150 pumpkins a week for some of his stores.

&8220;I imagine we&8217;ll order about two or three more shipments as Halloween gets closer,&8221; Parker said.

Although he is not complaining about this year&8217;s sales, Parker said he has seen a trend of people not buying as many pumpkins as they did 20 years ago.

&8220;I think the reason is because people are buying plastic, reusable ones,&8221; Parker said. &8220;I guess people think that it&8217;s easier because you pull out of the attic, plug them up and put them back up once you&8217;re done.&8221;