One day before Halloween, prices
for large pumpkins ready to be hollowed out and carved as a
jack-o'-lantern are jumping as sales climb, farm group
Coldiretti said Thursday.
Prices that normally average between one euro and 1.5 euros
per pound have doubled recently, good news for producers who
tend to be focused in Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont and even the
Veneto, the organization said.
A good pumpkin for ornamental use could run anywhere from
five euros to 25 euros, depending on size.
Despite other kinds of decorations such as scary cats,
witches, and harvest moons, carved pumpkins remain the favourite
image for the Halloween, said Coldiretti.
And the flesh inside the pumpkin, which is a form of fruit,
is popular for its versatility in the kitchen as well as packing
a punch with a high content of such antioxidants as vitamin A.
About 2,000 hectares of Italian land is covered in pumpkin
patches, ranging from Mantua and Cremona to Ferrara and Venice.
Some farmers are also working to restore traditional marine
pumpkin production in Chioggia in the Veneto region, the
organization said.
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