Pumpkin harvest worst in 25 years - farmer

The owner of Llynclys Hall Farm near Oswestry said this year's crop was the worst he could remember

BBC Rows of pumpkins displayed in a farmyard. They are laid out on tiered bales of straw like seats in a stadium up to roof height. In the foreground, two women take photos of the display. — The owner of Llynclys Hall Farm near Oswestry said this year's crop was the worst he could remember

For farmers like Richard Jones with a crop of pumpkins, the end of October should be one of the highlights of the year.

But Mr Jones, who farms at Llynclys Hall Farm near Oswestry, Shropshire, has experienced a pre-Halloween horror show.

"The weather has never really played ball with us. The sun has not shone enough, and pumpkins like a lot of sunshine and don't really need a lot of water," he said.

"In 25 years of growing pumpkins, this has been the most challenging one by a long chalk."

Mr Jones said pumpkins were the farm's main line of business, meaning it was "vital" to have a good harvest.

His experience has been shared by farmers in many parts of the country.

While Britain saw roughly average rainfall nationwide over the summer, it was unevenly spread with a dry spell in the south and east, while further north and west it was wetter than normal.

Richard Jones said there had been not enough sun and too much rain

A man dressed in a muddy black coat and hi-viz overalls standing in a field sporadically covered with pumpkins while holding one in his arms. — Richard Jones said there had been not enough sun and too much rain

The unpredictability of agriculture has led Mr Jones to diversify his business.

Alongside the farm shop he and his wife Lynda opened after taking over the family business in 1995, the farm now boasts fun fairs and craft markets, even renting out its parking area for weekly meetings of car enthusiasts.

He told BBC Radio Shropshire: "Obviously the car park is quite important for the pumpkins, as we need to have hard-standing for the public to come.

"Since it was sitting there doing very little for the rest of the year, we thought it was important to try and get some extra revenue."

He added that farmers were first and foremost business owners.

"Nowadays, farmers need to generate money from things from things other than just your ordinary type of farming, and I think a lot of farmers are rising to that challenge," he said.

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