Parents warned Halloween pumpkins could be too small to carve this year after drought wreaks havoc

Parents warned Halloween pumpkins could be too small to carve this year after drought wreaks havoc This summer's parched conditions have stunted the size - and quantity - of pumpkins in some areas of the country The summer drought could mean some Halloween pumpkins are too small for kids to carve this year, growers have warned. The orange crop has been decimated by this summer’s record breaking temperatures and long periods without any rainfall. It has resulted in a big fall in the number of pumpkins grown this year, with many of those left being either smaller or with thicker skins, making them more difficult to carve. Ross McGowan, owner of Hatfield Park Pumpkins, near Bishop’s Stortford, said: “It’s been fairly catastrophic,” with his yield down 40% this year, although watering had allowed the farm to maintain the size of the remainder. “It’s not good,” he admitted, when asked what it would mean for the business. “We just have to survive.” Most pumpkin farmers are heavily reliant on sales leading up to Halloween on October 31. "They're worthless come November 1," Mr McGowan said. Farmer David Coulter, of Suffiolk-based Home Farm Pumpkins, said: “The pumpkins just gave up and stopped growing early, even when there was moisture available. With the lack of water and heat, it was a double whammy.” He went on: “We’ve got lots of small ones, but children like to carve the big ones, don’t they? Because of the heat, the skin is a bit thicker than normal. I think some little kids might struggle carving them.” Ketan Dave, of leading pumpkin grower Barfoots, told the Telegraph: “With the really small pumpkins, don’t carve them, just draw on them.” Pumpkins are among a host of UK grown fruit and vegetables whose size has been stunted by the bone dry conditions. Other hit hard include potatoes, resulting in smaller spuds for use for chips, crisps and roast potatoes. Growers of cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli also reported that the prolonged hot and dry weather meant many products were only half the size they should be. The National Farmers Union says the worst drought in 50 years also caused many challenges for fruit growers across the UK. It has launched a campaign urging government to support the farming sector in the face of a “cash flow crisis.” NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Farmers are facing an unprecedented cash flow crisis which started with dramatic inflation caused by the Middle East war. “We’ve seen growers losing hundreds of thousands of pounds after a drought-ravaged harvest, while cattle and sheep farmers have had to use winter feed stocks in August.” While the parched conditions have decimated many crops, it has been a bumper summer for UK strawberries. That has prompted growers to encourage supermarkets to continue buying British strawberries into the autumn.