Bad weather could have left some pumpkin growers with a drop of around 45 per cent on last year.
Steve Whitworth, sales director with Oakley Farms, said compared with the bumper crop of last year, they were facing a significant reduction this season.
“Last year we had the best growing conditions ever and the crop was fantastic. Volumes were up by around 25 per cent.”
This season however, with the dull and cold weather making for less than ideal growing conditions, Whitworth estimates the crop to be down around 20 per cent on a normal year.
“Considering last season we were up so much, that means this year we’re around 45 per cent down on last year.”
However, the picture might not be so bleak for other growers. Lincolnshire grower David Bowman said he estimated the crop to be down by only around 10 per cent on a normal year.
Meanwhile, Barfoots of Botley said that despite the weather, it is expecting a good season. Head of supply chain, Peter Atkins, said: “We’ve had a fairly good growing season, the pumpkins are good weights but they’re not as big as normal, so they’re quite dense this year.”
Rots could also prove a problem, with some growers estimating a potential further loss to the crop of between 10 and 20 per cent.
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