UK pumpkin harvests decline due to drought

Pumpkin farmers in the United Kingdom are facing significant harvest losses of between 50 and 60 percent due to severe drought conditions. The lack of water has resulted in much smaller pumpkins than in previous years, impacting seasonal availability ahead of Halloween.

Agricultural producers, such as Sarah Foster of Brookleigh Farm near Leeds, note that without irrigation systems, it is difficult to grow pumpkins to an acceptable size. This shortage follows a period of historic drought in England, which was exacerbated by the hottest summer recorded since 1884. The water scarcity, linked to climate change and rising temperatures, has also negatively affected potato and grain crops across the region.