After last year's slump

Pumpkin farmers breathe a sigh of relief: “Seeds are thriving this year”

Pumpkin farmer Alois Schantl from Weitersfeld in southern Styria on one of his pumpkin fields, where the seeds have sprouted very well this year.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Oil pumpkin cultivation in the Grüner Mark was characterized by frustration and despair last year. This year, farmers can breathe a sigh of relief: good weather and newly approved seed dressings are allowing the seeds to thrive and promise a good year for Styria's "green gold".

This time last year, Styrian pumpkin farmers were on red alert: in many fields, the seeds either did not germinate at all or only sparsely. Many farmers reseeded, sometimes several times, while others suffered total losses. The harvest was correspondingly smaller.