Drought slashes British pumpkin harvests, disrupting Halloween events

A hot, dry summer has severely reduced pumpkin harvests across Britain, disrupting Halloween events and leaving some growers with financial and emotional strain. The shortage matters to farms that rely on pumpkin picking and seasonal sales, with growers warning that large pumpkins are especially hard to find.

At Ruffins Farm in Suffolk, Liz Paterson and Andrew King grew about 50 pumpkins this year, compared with around 10,000 in previous years, after prioritising water for their 500 breeding ewes. A New Forest attraction sourced pumpkins from another farm, but its largest were reportedly 50 to 60 per cent smaller than usual; growers say there is little spare stock to replace poor harvests. Some farmers plan to sow more acreage next year, while fearing further drought.