WITH Halloween just under a month away, thoughts turn to a steady stream of pint-sized trick or treaters, in various guises, knocking at your door.
However, this time of year would not be the same without the appearance of pumpkins and this season there could be more than ever on shelves as growers expect a bumper crop.
Peter Atkins, head of supply chain at Barfoots, is pleased with the crop's performance. “The good weather this year means an early maturity of the pumpkin crop,” he says. “The hot spell has given them a good finish and we've had to bring them in early to storage to protect them from the rain ñ the enemy of the pumpkin. Damp conditions can cause all manners of problems for the produce.”
David Bowman, managing director of David Bowman Limited, is surprised that the hot weather has failed to cause any problems for the crop. “The colours are good and the quality is pleasing. We're expecting good volumes for the year,” he says.
Seminis sales specialist Bruce MacMillan is also expecting a good performance this year. “Our customers who grow the most popular UK variety, Harvest Moon, have already indicated good yields of sizeable pumpkins and our orders are up on last year,” he says.
MacMillan also believes that the early start is beneficial for all parties involved in the crop. “The colossal quantity of pumpkin needs to be harvested, packed and distributed in a short period of time and the work is very intense. The early start makes a big difference.”
Bowman grows 300 acres of pumpkins with Harvest Moon and Ghost Rider the main varieties, has been involved with pumpkins for 30 years and never seen two years the same. “The performance of pumpkins is so unpredictable. Every year we have a plan and two days into the season we have to rip it up. This year, though, we're delighted with what we are seeing,” he says.
Pumpkins perform much better in hotter climates, says Atkins. The crop originally stems from North America and was a staple part of the native Americans diet. He says: “The crop is much better suited to a hotter climate, so this year will be a bumper crop for the UK and with wide availability this should be good for customers.”
Steve Winterbottom, sales director at Tozer, believes the warm weather has been ideal for the pumpkin crop. “As long as you can get enough water on them they do extremely well in the sunshine. The hot conditions mean that diseases are at a minimum.”
At Seminis, breeders are looking to improve the shelf-life of pumpkins with the hope of raising demand. MacMillan says: “Growers could supply the market sooner creating more impulse purchases for customers who would then not only use the pumpkin for carving at Halloween, but could enjoy their decorative presence before the event and for much longer.”
Atkins believes that year-on-year demand for pumpkins continues to grow and it is essential that supermarkets continue to push the product. “You could not ask for a bigger publicity stunt than Halloween and I am sure there will be plenty of events taking place in stores,” he says.
Winterbottom thinks that because pumpkins are aimed at the October 31 trade each year, there is rarely enough produce around due to inclement weather. “Each year people seem always to be looking out for pumpkins but the favourable weather could mean that for once supply could meet demand,” he says.
Bowman agrees, saying that demand is high but there is an obvious surge around the last two weeks of the month. “We supply major supermarkets, wholesalers and we have a growing export market,” he says.
MacMillan sees the rising growth due to the increasingly popularity of Halloween. “We believe the increase is the result of the influence of the US. We feel that demand can be developed even further by introducing new varieties, such as the Seminis variety ñ Spooktacular. This has a very attractive smooth skin and a deeper orange colour. We also have new culinary varieties with natural nutritional benefits,” he says.
Atkins feels that the next important move in the pumpkin market would be more people cooking the produce. He says: “Pumpkin pie is a very tasty dish and is enhanced by additional flavours such as cinnamon. All that is needed is for a few celebrity chefs to hook onto cooking with pumpkins at Halloween and demand could rise substantially. People will see something different to do with the produce besides using it for decorative purposes and it could be a nice boost for the industry.”
Bowman believes that demand for exports in recent years has been beneficial to the industry. “We have exported a good deal to the Netherlands and Ireland,” he says. “In the Netherlands they prefer the smaller varieties and use them only for ornamental purposes. With the Dutch weather being so hot this year some of the crop has suffered, which has been good for UK business as we've exported a fair amount.”
Levels of exports to Ireland have been equally satisfying. Bowman explains. “Last year there were problems with the crop in Ireland due to a great deal of wet weather and they were heavily dependent upon the UK crop. This year the Irish crop hasn't suffered as much but there is still a demand there.”
Tozer has also become involved in exporting seeds to Spain. Winterbottom says: “Halloween is becoming more of an event in Spain and there is huge market potential there.”
Seminis has been busy trialing new UK varieties. MacMillan says: “We have UK trials with one of our customers who supplies one of the major multiples with all of its pumpkins. Our breeding programme in the US is focusing on many attributes including improved disease resistance. Without a doubt our most successful pumpkin so far is our Harvest Moon variety.”
Tozer have been involved in trialing since 1982 and this week they held their pumpkin and squash open day. Winterbottom says: “The open day gives our customers the opportunity to see how the new varieties grow compared to the existing crop.”
Even though there is a bumper crop this year Atkins believes the pumpkin is unique and that price will be unaffected. “The pumpkin is fortunate that it has such an appeal that it is not susceptible to price changes due to plentiful supply,” he says. “The supermarkets are happy to be involved with the produce as it sells itself.”
Demand for pumpkins in the UK is now beginning to extend beyond the Halloween season. Atkins explains: “With rising numbers of US residents in the UK there is steady demand up to the Thanksgiving celebrations. Supermarkets such as M&S and Waitrose are both keen to take on pumpkins at this time.”
Bowman is keen to give something back to the community with his pumpkins. He provides large quantities of pumpkins to schools in the Spalding area. He explains: “This year the Spalding Pumpkin festival will take place on October 17 and at the end of the night there will be a fireworks display, which should be great fun for the children.”
Atkins is also pleased with the success of the squash crop this year. “Demand has been favourable across the board this year. We provide Tesco who sells them in a mixed bag form and Waitrose sells them as a single option,” he says.
Tozer is busy trialing new varieties of squash and believe there is a great deal of potential in this market. Winterbottom says: “We have worked with a small US breeder for a number of years now and are busy trialing high sugar squashes. They look very good with clean outer skins, very eye-catching and good to eat. We believe they could have a promising future.”
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