New Record Set - Latvia’s Heaviest Pumpkin Weighs 574 kg

Second and third place in the Championship were won by pumpkins grown by the Neimanis family and Kozlovskis family, with those reaching 425 kg and 377 kg. These were followed by the Badovskis family’s giant from Skrunda, and the Neimanis family pumpkin, weighing 295,5 kg and 266,5 kg respectively.

“This year’s summer was particularly warm. On the one hand, this offered very good conditions for growing big, juicy vegetables, but on the other hand, it required great efforts in watering the vegetables. This was also mentioned by Maxima Latvija’s partners who deliver fresh, healthy products to us every day from the Latvian countryside. It is possible in Latvia to grow enormous vegetables which wouldn’t fit in any shopping cart, therefore these vast pumpkins were enjoyed by the residents of the zoo, with the first taste going to the Japanese Macaques,” says Jānis Beseris, Head of Communications for Maxima Latvija.

The event also celebrated the prettiest pictures from students at the Janis Rosenthal Riga Art School, which were drawn on pumpkins and set out to be judged by all in attendance. The favourite was Annas Gūtmane’s work

This year, a total of 30 pumpkins applied for the Latvian Pumpkin Championship, representing nine Latvian counties - Salaspils, Ādaži, Garkalne, Kuldīga, Skrunda, Nīca, Talsi, Jelgava and Rēzekne. The ten heaviest were placed on the scales during the Championship final by strongmen Agris Kazeļņiks and Aivars Šmaukstelis, supported by host Kaspars Zlidnis.

The owner of the heaviest pumpkin received a gift card worth 350 Euro to spend at Maxima Latvija stores throughout Latvia, with the second and third place winners receiving gift cards worth 220 and 150 Euro respectively. The owners of the other pumpkins which made it into the final were also given gift cards worth 70 Euro.