KernAktuell September 2018, News

Average yields

Average yields and below-average cultivation area in Austria

The current situation whereby – despite the satisfactory yields in 2018 – significantly fewer pumpkin seeds have been harvested than would meet the annual demand is not (yet) too disquieting, because the gap can still be filled from existing stock.

The fact that the harvest started earlier than ever before in all regions must also have been helpful, compared with the harvest processing in previous years. Even the drought in the pumpkin growing areas in the Weinviertel region and the excessive rainfall in parts of the south did not result in the disastrous harvests many people feared. It will prove to be an average year for the oil pumpkin.


Depending on how the market goes, it is probably also uncertain whether the 2019 harvest will be adequate. However, in the light of the dwindling reserves from previous years, the area under cultivation in 2018 will not be sufficient for 2019. To win back the hectares that have been lost and ensure the required increase in the planting area next year, a clear signal on price must be sent to the farmers who have stopped growing oil pumpkins. The exact amount will depend on trends in other crops.

Heatwave put an end to hopes of high yields for Styrian scarlet runner beans
Because of the early pod setting and moderate temperatures until mid-July this year, expectations for the Styrian scarlet runner bean harvest were high, up to that point. The sudden arrival of a heatwave at the end of July, which continued until the end of August, reduced those high expectations. It now looks most likely that the harvest will be average. The availability of Styrian scarlet runner beans, like pumpkins, is only good because of reserve supplies from last year.

 

Franz Wagnes
Management field production

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Traditional Styrian
stamp press process

While modernity has brought progress in many areas, the traditional Styrian stamp press process is still the best way of making pumpkin seed oil. The main difference between this and other pressing methods is that we work with open roasting pans. At our plant, people check when the pumpkin seeds are perfectly roasted and so will yield the very best oil. This enables our experienced oil millers to produce the pumpkin seed oil that has won more prizes than any other – and which as a result of this type of pressing retains all the natural constituents. The untreated oil is not filtered; the particles that make it cloudy settle naturally when the oil is left to rest.

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