It seems that those who have held on to their pumpkin crops through a few bad years are reaping limited rewards, with prices having skyrocketed in the last month, according to Qualipac Sales and Marketing Manager Kees Versteeg. “Several growers this year have drastically reduced their production programme or have not grown pumpkins at all,” he said. The crop was also affected by the Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV), with many growers not able to replant in time for the 2015 season.
In Northern Queensland, where the major crops would be coming from during July and August, growers have reduced plantings, probably due to the threat posed by the virus, Mr Versteeg said. Even before the presence of the virus, it was reported back in February across the media that pumpkin growers in Australia had been making losses since 2008.
High retail prices were not necessarily passed on to growers, warned Mr Versteeg,. “Growers that have direct access to the major supermarket chains tend to do ok but even then the mark-up per kilo on the retailer’s shelves can be as high as 300%, with growers simply not getting their fair share and struggling to cover their costs.
Growers that do not have direct access to the major supermarket chains are dealing with an inefficient, complicated supply chains involving third parties all importing additional costs affecting the growers' farm-gate price according to Mr Versteeg.
Exports continue to be slow for pumpkins too, with exports for pumpkin, squash and gourd totalling just $2 million in 2013, the latest year with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.