The first pumpkins will be on the UK shelves towards the end of September. The pumpkin harvest starts in September at Barfoots on the south coast of England. Kim Barfoot-Brace said that it will be a difficult year because of the unprecedented weather conditions.
"Pumpkins in the UK are generally dry farmed, that is to say they don’t require irrigation. That definitely isn’t true this year! We’re expecting small pumpkins and squashes despite irrigating our crops significantly. On the plus side, we hope this means fruits will be high quality and we won’t have any rot issues."
Sizes will be small, and the harvest is expected to come early this season.
The challenges faced by the agriculture sector are no secret, and Kim said they have been doing our best to keep our processes as efficient as possible and provide quality vegetables at a good price for our customers.
Barfoots farm a total of 51 Ha worth of pumpkins, with their own production and that of other growers with whom they collaborate.
Whilst Barfoots grow and supply a vast number of culinary pumpkins to meet the October demand, Kim believes that from a consumption point of view, other varieties of squash provide a much tastier experience during the rest of the year.
"We also grow and supply a number of varieties of squash… abundant in colour, taste and texture. There are so many different squash types which are both eye catching and delicious. We see a demand for this variety of squash types – with people learning how to prepare different squashes to get the best eating experience from them. Squash really is a super veg…it’s nutrient rich, in its whole form doesn’t require packaging, stores for a long time helping to reduce waste and is incredible versatile. We really believe in it."
For more information:
Kim Barfoot-Brace
Barfoots
kim.barfoot-brace@barfoots.co.uk