The acreage devoted to butternut squash in the Iberian Peninsula has been reduced by 18% this year due to the prolonged rains recorded in the months of February and March, which is the time when most of the crop's planting takes place.
"The acreage is down mostly in Portugal and in the Spanish provinces of Seville and Valencia, where abundant rainfall forced growers to plant less and later," says Joaquín Navarro, head of pumpkin development at Sakata Seed Ibérica. "Campo de Cartagena, in Murcia, has been the first area to start the 2025 harvest in Spain, with a delay of one week, just like in Seville and Valencia."
Joaquín Navarro, head of pumpkin development at Sakata Seed Ibérica.
However, despite this reduction in the butternut squash acreage, Joaquín Navarro says that "the production will drop by 10% at most, as early crops are delivering very good yields at the moment."
Sakata has a share of more than 90% in the sale of butternut squash seeds in Spain and Portugal. "The predominant varieties are the Pluto and Ariel, but demand is on the rise for varieties with a long post-harvest shelf life, such as the new Estrella and Orionit, which allow a 12-month production cycle and have between 2 and 3 degrees Brix more than other traditional varieties, as well as better calibers, more uniformity and greater resistance to diseases," says Joaquín Navarro.
According to the specialist, butternut squash consumption continues to increase every year, gaining ground on traditional large varieties. "In the Iberian Peninsula, consumption already exceeds one kilo per capita per year; still a long way from the 3 or 4 kilos per capita of other European countries, but with room for further growth. The fact is that butternut squash has advantages for the whole value chain, starting with the producer, who obtains high yields and an excellent post-harvest that puts an end to the product's seasonality and allows them to store it and negotiate better prices."
"For their part, retailers don't have to deal with as much wastage thanks to the product's long shelf life and size, between 1 and 2 kilos, which makes it easy to handle and also attractive for smaller family units," says Navarro. "Moreover, thanks to the new varieties, supermarket chains can work with a single supplier all year round," he says.
"If we had to mention any drawbacks, we could say that it's difficult to peel, which is why the demand for cut, sliced, or cooked squash is growing significantly, by around 15% a year. In fact, this year, there is already a supermarket chain that will only sell pumpkins in ready-to-eat formats to facilitate consumption."
Spain and Portugal produce around 250 million kilos of butternut squash, and these are the countries with the highest yields worldwide. Between 50 and 60 million kilos remain in the domestic market, and the rest is exported, mainly to the United Kingdom and northern European countries.
© SakataFor more information:
Sakata Seed Ibérica S.L.U.
Plaza Poeta Vicente Gaos 6 bajo
46021 Valencia, Spain
Tel.: +34963563427
[email protected]
www.sakata.com
