Poland is one of the EU leaders in the production of pumpkins

For years, Poland has maintained its position among the leading producers of pumpkin in the European Union. In 2022, this accounted for almost 40% of the total production of this vegetable in the EU. In 2023, in terms of productivity, harvesting 41.6 kg/ha, it was second only to Spain (47.6 kg/ha).

Production and cultivation area

Over the past ten years, pumpkin production in Poland has increased eightfold, reaching 400,000 tons in 2022. At the same time, the cultivated area increased from 1,100  hectares in 2014 to 8,900  hectares in 2022, when it overtook such pumpkin giants as France, Spain, Italy and Germany.

In 2023, the area of pumpkin cultivation in Poland decreased to 7,600 hectares and thus the harvest level decreased. Poland ended 2023 in 4th place among EU producers of this vegetable, harvesting 316,300  tonnes. We were overtaken by Spain (789,800 tonnes), Italy (601,700 tonnes) and France (410,400 tonnes).

In 2024, Polish producers decided to increase the production area again and allocated a record 9,289,190 hectares for  the growing of pumpkins.

Export success

Polish pumpkins are becoming more and more popular on international markets. In 2023, the value of pumpkin and gourd exports increased by 21.3 percent y/y, reaching USD 2,552.4 billion.

The main recipients were:

• Germany (USD 599.8 million) – up 25.9% y/y.
• Czech Republic (USD 476.6 million) – down -17.8% y/y.
• Slovakia (USD 382.6 million) – up 80.2% y/y.
• Italy (USD 283.9 million) – up 26.4% y/y.
• Lithuania (USD 213.9 million) – up 58.6% y/y.

The most spectacular percentage increase in Polish pumpkin exports was recorded in the case of France – as much as 12210.2 percent (from USD 206 thousand in 2022 to USD 25.4 million the following year). An equally impressive increase was recorded in exports to Portugal, where the value of imported pumpkin from Poland increased by 1968 percent (from USD 7.52 million to USD 155.5 million).

Reasons for the growing popularity of pumpkins

The dynamic increase in demand for pumpkins is related to the growing demand for healthy food. Pumpkins contains numerous nutrients such as vitamins, fibre and unsaturated fatty acids, which makes it attractive both in  cooking and in the pharmaceutical and food industries. For producers, its additional advantage is the possibility of storing it for several months, which allows it to be sold also in late autumn and early winter.

Competitive advantages of Polish pumpkins

Polish pumpkins have gained popularity thanks to:

• high quality resulting from the climate and traditional cultivation  methods,
• durability and ease of storage,
• high nutritional value and taste,
• competitive prices,
• shorter transport time compared to pumpkins imported from distant regions, which ensures greater freshness of the product.

Poland compared to other producers

Poland is not the only major player on the international market. South Africa is playing an increasingly important role in the  export of pumpkins, which has dynamically increased its  production in the last ten years, supplying the market with high-quality butternut squash.

Other significant producers and exporters of pumpkins in the world are: China, the United States, India, Mexico, Ukraine, and in the European Union: Spain, Italy, France, Portugal.

Source:

• The Central Statistical Office (GUS)
• KOWR, „Polska największym producentem dyni w Unii Europejskiej”
• AtlasBig, „World Pumpkin Production by Country”