Halloween pumpkin harvest hit by bad weather as farmer loses 'half of yield'

Farmers running pumpkin patches say they have had a poorer yield this year due to bad weather ahead of Halloween.

Growers say it has been a challenge for the sun-loving squash, thanks to a wet and cold spring and a dreary summer.

Euan Smart and the team at Craigies farm in Queensferry have been growing pumpkins for more than 20 years.

“We planted around about 30,000 and we had maybe half of that fail,” said Euan.

“But we’ve luckily managed to get enough of our pumpkins through to still make our Halloween event happen.

“They need a lot of sun and a lot of heat. I think growing pumpkins this far North is a challenge at the best of times and this year has been a particularly challenging one. We definitely didn’t get a summer.”

Pumpkin farmers say the dreary weather has been a challenge. STV News

Farmers running pumpkin patches across the UK have said weather conditions have meant a poorer crop than last year ahead of Halloween.

While some farms have managed to pull through, several have reported that their number of pumpkins has been down compared to last year, or that their crops have failed completely.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said the times that people planted in the spring in the UK had been crucial this year, due to the wet weather conditions.

Craigies Pumpkin Festival draws in Halloween fans. STV News

An NFU spokesman added: “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.”

Euan agrees. “I think it’s the unpredictability, crop failures are becoming more apparent now than ever before,” he said.

“You need that consistent window and this year that’s gone quite wrong and you really do need to do a lot of work to come back from that.

“You are in that position where you really are at the mercy of the weather and I think that will only get worse unfortunately.”

Scotland's first neep picking patch launched in Hamilton to raise money for charity. — Scotland’s first neep picking patch launched in Hamilton to raise money for charity. STV News

With the climate crisis causing increasingly unpredictable weather, each year is a risk for crops.

Despite the challenges, Craigies Farm says they are committed to growing pumpkins for many more years to come.

But one Halloween event has taken a slightly different approach and is attempting to return to a pre-pumpkin Halloween tradition.

Supermarket Lidl launched Scotland’s first neep-picking patch in Hamilton, using the humble and harder turnip instead of the orange gourd.

All proceeds from the patch have been donated to the STV Appeal charity to tackle child poverty in Scotland.

Marco Ivone, regional director for Lidl, said it has had an amazing response.

“It’s been loads of kids just having great fun reviving the old Scottish tradition of neep picking,” he said. “It’s been really positive, and we’d love to do it again.”

The event also included games of neeps and crosses, neep bowling and of course neep carving.

Pumpkin popularity across the country remains high, though.

According to an STV poll, 82% of Scots say they will still carve pumpkins this Halloween. Only 18% said they would carve a turnip.

But as a farmer, would the choice be pumpkins or turnips?

“Probably turnips, if I’m honest,” said Euan Smart. “But from a health and safety aspect and losing fingers aspect of carving them, maybe pumpkins!”