Halloween, a nightmare for Italian pumpkins

Halloween nightmare for Italian pumpkins, with a 25% drop in production due to the effects of bad weather and floods in the North and drought in the South. This is what emerges from Coldiretti's monitoring of the seasonal trend of the vegetable that is the symbol of All Saints' Day, which is celebrated on December 31st. Purchases multiply precisely in the weeks of the celebration, for a turnover estimated by Coldiretti at around 30 million euros. Almost all of these are products intended for food consumption, although there is growing attention for ornamental pumpkins for carving, for which Halloween represents over 90% of the market. These can be small or large, of various shapes (elongated, tube-shaped, trumpet-shaped, hat-shaped, flattened, spiral-shaped, round) and even of different colors, from green to bright red, to striped colors. Between table and carving, the average retail price this year is around 2/2.50 euros per kilo, but it can also double or triple if peeled and ...