The warm weather is saving the pumpkins

News 24 September, 2017
  • Vincent Larin

    Sunday, 24 September 2017 22:00

    UPDATE
    Sunday, 24 September 2017 22:00

    Look at this article

    Quebecers will be able to proudly display of beautiful pumpkins outside their doors on Halloween, thanks in part to the warm weather of the last few weeks.

    “It is really the month of September, which saves us the life,” says Pascale Coutu, farm The Courgerie of Lanaudière.

    His lands had become “like cement” after many days of rain in the summer, and promised a bumper crop of pumpkins difficult, ” says farmer.

    But the beginning of the month of August, which was marked by the sun and temperatures that have never been seen, and then the beginning of September allowed him to catch up.

    “The first two weeks of the season, it does not allow for the collection, because the fruits were not ripe,” she said.

    She added that the crops now fighting to their full, and many people come to pick their own pumpkins.

    The firm Reid, on the South Shore, the balance sheet is a little more somber since a good portion of the pumpkins rotted in the fields because of the heavy rainfall of this summer.

    “We had a 50% loss about this summer because of the water,” says one of the owners, Nadia Morissette. The weather is nice, it helps a little bit, but not enough for the pumpkins. “

    No impact on your shelves

    Although several farms have been delayed in the production of pumpkins, other markets will be able to provide the request, writes Mathieu Lavoie, of the firm of the same name.

    The farmer who mainly supplies grocery stores in squash does not believe that the delay in the harvests of pumpkins will increase their prices.

    “It’s not all only ones to produce pumpkins. It comes from Ontario and the United States, so I’m not worried that there is “, he explains.

    In his case, the harvest of pumpkins and squash has been delayed more than a month due to the wet weather this summer.

    “There are varieties of pumpkin that we think that we do not harvest,” he said. It is certain that it will beat records. “