A French farmer faces 90% loss in butternut squash due to extreme heat and dry winds, with no viable solutions to prevent damage.
Butternut squash losses due to heat
A farmer in Saint-Julien-de-Concelles, Mickaël Chancerelle, reported a 90% loss in his butternut squash production and a 15 to 20% loss in other squash varieties due to intense heat during the summer.Dry wind worsened the damage
The dry wind in July made the situation worse, acting "like a fire passage on the plants," according to Chancerelle. The black mulch used to protect the plants from light retained heat, which contributed to the problem.Mulch change not feasible
Changing the mulch color was considered but not feasible due to cost and availability. Drip irrigation did not significantly help, as the heat "burned" the plants regardless of irrigation.Smaller and lighter squash remain
The butternut squash, which typically weighs between 1 and 1.5 kg, now averages around 800 grams. The farmer noted that the surviving squash are smaller and lighter, and the losses are impossible to compensate for.Strong demand despite losses
Despite the losses, demand for squash remains strong, especially around Halloween. Chancerelle mentioned that the usual customers, wholesalers, would have bought 15 times more than what is available now.Weather patterns concern farmer
The farmer, who has been specializing in squash production for nine years, expressed concerns about the unpredictability of weather patterns, noting increasingly hot summers and unpredictable rainfall, which also leads to disease proliferation.
