Trick or treat? The ‘made in Spain’ pumpkins dress up for Halloween to experience their particular August

You can breathe halloween in store windows, in workplaces, in schools and also among the little ones in the house (and not so much). However, we will still have to wait until next Friday. October 31. One of the essential ingredients of this festival, which has its roots in Anglo-Saxon culture, is pumpkin. These days, its varieties most closely linked to this celebration are recording their best sales of the year. Such is the case of the Jack O’Laternwhose first seed was imported from the United States several years ago. But this vegetable has different shapes and sizes, as well as many varied varieties: Carruecano, Pilgrim’s Gourd, Roteña Gourd, Violin Gourd or Violin…

Ornamental pumpkins

Thousands of pumpkins pass through Mercamadrid during the week. From Manguan, SL, a wholesaler with decades of experience and member of the Association of Wholesale Entrepreneurs of the Central Fruit Market of Madrid (ASOMAFRUT), they acknowledge to this medium that “for 20 years the consumption of pumpkins for Halloween has not stopped growing” and they place this peak in the 4 weeks prior to October 31. Other wholesalers assure that sales are in similar terms to those of other years. From Manguan, which has several stalls in the main wholesale market in Spain, they clarify that the pumpkins sold for this festival are “for ornamental use” and its clients could not be more diverse: from certain amusement parks to early childhood education centers.

“For 20 years, the consumption of pumpkins for Halloween has not stopped growing” point out wholesalers such as Manguan, SL

“A Halloween box from a good brand, with 6 pieces, can cost between 18 and 19 euros”, comments an employee who highlights that the bigger the more expensive and cites the Jack O’Latern variety, which is grown specifically for these days. O’Latern was grown in New England (United States) and was used for animals to eat. In any case, the Halloween pumpkin that arrives Mercamadrid It is ‘made in Spain’, it is grown here and, in addition, it turns out to be a local product, of Segovia and the Community of Madrid itself (Aranjuez), which according to the most recent data produced 1,852 tons of pumpkin in 2022. A data that includes all varieties, most of which are not related to this festival. According to the sources consulted, those destined for Halloween are of different sizes and with varied recipients, from hospitality to private homes. Many already come with their corresponding stickers or prepared to be cut without much difficulty.

The day after Halloween

For example, Manguan also has assortment boxes with different types of pumpkins at 16 euros per 3 kilos. From this wholesaler they explain that the Halloween ones “They usually have few layers and pipes. 99.9% are ornamental”. Something that, once the scariest night of the year has passed, can become a problem: “It is thrown away, or after a process, it serves as compost (fertilizer), and even for animal feed,” they comment on a vegetable that in this type of variants quickly loses value. “A pallet can go from worth 800 to zero euros,” they point out from this wholesaler. Currently, they say, they work with farmers who know this crop well and when its peak consumption is, although they recognize that it is a product that deteriorates quickly.

For this campaign that begins in March-April and ends these days, the Ministry of Agriculture estimates a total cultivated area of ​​pumpkin of 6,700 hectares and a production of 167,800 tons, somewhat less than that of 2024.

Valencia and Murcia, the largest producing regions

Is there life for the Spanish pumpkin beyond Halloween? Yes, the varieties most linked to this festival are a small part of what the Spanish countryside can offer. According to the latest ‘Monthly Statistics Bulletin’ of the Department of agricultureit is estimated for this year’s campaign (it is planted in March – April to be harvested in September and October) a cultivated area of ​​6,700 hectares, similar to last year (6,600 hectares), and a slightly lower production of about 167,800 tons. Last year, 169,800 tons were generated, a qualitative leap compared to 2023, when 140,400 tons were collected with an area of ​​about 5,000 hectares. With data from 2022, the Ministry estimates that the regions with the highest production They were the Valencian Community (33,950 tons) followed by the Canary Islands (16,975 tons), the Region of Murcia (16,036 tons) and Andalusia (12,692 tons).