Extreme weather events put a dampener on Halloween festivities.
- Written by
Lauren Legate- Published
- October 9, 2024
Farmers growing pumpkins for Halloween have seen a significant decrease in crops this year due to frequent and intense rainfall.
In recent years, farms have been running pumpkin patches during October where families can have a day out and pick out their pumpkins for Halloween.
However, this years’ farms have struggled significantly with their pumpkin yield.
The BBC spoke to numerous farmers in the east midlands who have said that either the number of pumpkins produced on their farm this year was down or that the crop had completely failed.
For example, a farm in Derby has had to scale back the number of days their pumpkin patch will be open due to reduced stock. On a good year the farm produces up to 15,000 pumpkins but this year they are expecting to only collect up to 1,500 pumpkins.
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the times that people planted in the spring had been crucial this year, due to the wet weather conditions.
"But pumpkin growers are experiencing similar problems to farmers growing food in various sectors, who are dealing with the impact of climate change, and it has been a challenging time for farmers and growers across the country.
"Other members growing pumpkins for shops and supermarkets will also be keeping a close eye on the impact of the weather on their farms as they look to harvest their crops."
Farming is one of the most weather dependent jobs in the world and according to the Farmer’s guide, the average farm flooding claim in 2022 was £26,343, which has climbed to £31,195 in the winter months of November and December.