Wet summer hits pumpkin harvest

Fewer pumpkins are available this Halloween after the wet summer and poor pollination of young plants, a farmer has said.

Rob Keene said he planted enough seeds to produce about 12,000 pumpkins on his land at Over, near Gloucester, but ended up with only half that amount.

"We've got long vines with only one or two pumpkins on," said Mr Keene.

"A lot of those that did get pollinated are still green so they won't be ready for Friday," he added.

Mr Keene said some of the crop which should have been ready for harvesting had been hit by disease and had rotted before being cut for sale.

"We're only getting about 1,000 pumpkins an acre instead of 2,000, so it's much less.

"And we've had to cut back on the number we wholesale, hoping we'll have enough here until Friday which is when everyone wants them."

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