Poland forecasts 480,130-tonne pumpkin crop as exports remain near 1% of output

Production forecast to approach 500,000 tonnes

Poland’s pumpkin harvest is forecast to reach 480,130 tonnes in 2026, extending a decade of rapid expansion and reinforcing the country’s position as the European Union’s largest producer. The estimate follows production of 435,770 tonnes in 2025, according to figures reported by SadyOgrody.pl.

Poland accounted for 35% of EU pumpkin production in 2025. Total output across the bloc was 1.23141 million tonnes, meaning more than one-third of the EU crop came from Polish farms. If the 2026 forecast is realized, Polish production will increase by 44,360 tonnes from the previous year, or just over 10%.

Acreage drives a decade of expansion

The increase is underpinned by a substantial expansion in planted area. Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture said pumpkin acreage rose from 1,100 hectares in 2014 to 9,300 hectares in 2024. Over the same period, the harvest increased more than eightfold, from 48,000 tonnes to 383,000 tonnes.

Growth continued after 2024. The planted area reached almost 10,500 hectares in 2025 and is expected to approach 12,000 hectares in 2026. These figures indicate that additional land, rather than a temporary production spike, remains a central factor behind the larger crop. The expansion also increases the importance of domestic processing, storage and distribution capacity as farms bring more pumpkins to market.

Exports absorb only a small share

Foreign sales have not kept pace with production. Only about 1% of Poland’s pumpkin output is exported because almost the entire crop is absorbed by the domestic market, SadyOgrody.pl reported. Poland exported more than 4,700 tonnes in 2025, approximately 300 tonnes more than in 2024.

Export revenue nevertheless declined. Polish suppliers earned almost €3.2 million from pumpkin exports in 2025, compared with more than €4 million in 2024. The combination of higher shipment volume and lower revenue points to a marked reduction in the average value per exported tonne, although the source did not provide transaction-level prices or explain the change.

Imports edged down by volume but rose in value. Poland purchased 2,900 tonnes of pumpkins worth almost €3.6 million in 2025, versus 3,000 tonnes valued at nearly €3.3 million in 2024. Imports were therefore smaller than exports by volume but generated a higher total trade value. For producers and traders, the 2026 crop forecast raises a practical question: whether domestic demand can continue absorbing expansion at the current pace, or whether exporters and processors will need to develop additional outlets for the rising supply.