Giant pumpkin for charity
A giant vegetable is on display in Pretoria before it is weighed and chopped up for charity.
Corlia Kruger
The biggest pumpkin north of Pretoria has got Fruit & Veg customers staring in awe.
Food Lover’s Market Montana is showcasing the massive squash which will be entered into the Goliat van Gat competition this coming weekend.
Owner of the giant vegetable is a local resident Hugo le Roux, who says growing pumpkins is a hobby of his.
Le Roux says his dream is to grow the largest pumpkin in South Africa, and hopes the recently-harvested one will shatter some records.
“I have been an agronomist and ‘seeds man’ my whole life and I find it fun to push the boundaries in agriculture.”
Le Roux was inspired by the World Record holder Beni Meier, who grew a staggering pumpkin of 1050kg.
He says he hopes to surpass the South African record currently held by Pinkie Swart of Heidelberg whose pumpkin weighed in at 497kg.
Le Roux has previously entered competitions with pumpkins weighing 328kg and 335kg, and has won the Standard Bank and the Goliat van Gat competitions for growing massive pumpkins.
Steven Mulder from Food Lover’s Market Montana said Le Roux’s latest harvest was very impressive.
“This pumpkin took 150 days to grow and had to be lifted with a forklift because of its massive size and weight,” said Mulder.
The giant on display is guarded by security as it remains vital for the pumpkin not to be damaged before its weigh-in on 12 March.
After the competition, the pumpkin will be chopped up and donated to old age homes and other charities for a pumpkin feast.
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