A 2024 European asparagus campaign mixed fortunes

Germany : Rain reduces output but not prices in Germany

Persistent rains in Germany, particularly in the north, caused flooding and waterlogged soil in the leadup to the 2024 white asparagus season, reports AMI horticultural market analyst Claudio Glaesser. Depending on the soil structure, it wasn’t possible to start preparing the mounds until April, which was significantly later than usual. Despite this, a mild winter and high temperatures at the start of spring saw the harvest kick-off early, he says. Nevertheless, imports had to be used for what was also an early Easter this year, falling at the beginning of April. With the strong sunshine that followed Easter, there was a brief phase of supply pressure. Weeks of moderate temperatures and few hours of sunshine kept the market stable for large parts of the season from then on. Farmgate prices remained largely at a satisfactory level and retail prices in the important month of May were also in line with those of the previous year. The 2024 season ended sooner than usual in many areas due to the early start. In southern Germany, extreme rainfall and flooding also led to an abrupt end at the end of May. Overall, the harvest volume is likely to have declined in line with the reduction in the planed area due to the more difficult weather conditions, Glaesser said.

France : low production without recovery

Despite very difficult conditions for preparing the mounds (too much rain), the asparagus harvest in France started early. “The first asparagus in the South-West was harvested at the beginning of February in small quantities,” says Astrid Etèvenaux, director of Asperge de France. In March, good harvests in the South-West made it possible to supply the market for the Easter holidays (1 April). April was a “lack-lustre” month, depending on the production basins but especially the plots. In the Loire Valley, the late start of the harvest resulted in low volumes. The month of May was marked by low inflows in all French production areas. In the end, there was disappointment without a recovery in production, as has been observed in recent years due to the weather remaining cold. “Its low inputs have led to additional costs at the harvest and in the station. So higher production costs for less volume”, comments Astrid Etèvenaux. The market remained without much enthusiasm. Mass distribution and its promotional drives have made it possible to sell all French volumes without difficulty.

Italy : Asparagus in search of confirmation

“In 2024, Italian asparagus growing areas amount to 8000 hectares, for a production of 45 to 50,000 tons intended both for fresh consumption and also for the processing industry,” estimates Luciano Trentini, an asparagus specialist. In 2024, high temperatures (soil temperatures always above 14-15 degrees) in February and early March made it possible to start the harvest 15 days early. Unfortunately, the drop in temperatures during the Easter holidays, accompanied by heavy rain, slowed down the flow of deliveries to both the north and the south of Italy. Then the sudden rise in temperatures that followed allowed a recovery of the quantities produced to the point of creating a degree of uncertainty on the market, which then quickly rebalanced. High temperatures and the now persistent problem of labour availability have led to a reduction in the harvesting period. In the end, production fell by about 15% in southern Italy and 30% in the north. The lower availability on the market has led to an increase in prices that has allowed the sale of top-quality processed green asparagus, both in the North and in the South, at around 3.5-4 euros per kg, while white asparagus in the North at around 5.5 euros per kg. “Analysis of consumption shows that the consumption of asparagus in Italy is reaching 20,000 tons, worth 111 million euros,” concludes Luciano Trentini.

Spain : Encouraging outlook for 2025

Thanks to plenty of rain, green asparagus production in the province of Granada this year could end up totalling 20% more than that of 2023, despite initial  expectations that it would instead suffer a reduction of 10-15%. Furthermore, according to Antonio Zamora, president of the Spanish organsiation the Green Asparagus Interprofessional and of the Centro Sur cooperative, the quality has been “extraordinary thanks to the rain at the start and during the season.” Speaking to Spanish media, Zamora said many production zones in Granada – which accounts for 70% of Spain’s green asparagus crop – now have enough rain in their reservoirs and water catchment areas to plan for similar levels of production in 2025, while others will have to see how summer evolves. Spanish producers, however, continue to face a shortage of farm labour, an issue the Inerprofessional is lobbying authorities on in a bid to reduce red tape when it comes to recruiting workers in other countries.

Netherlands : Rain causes yield to plummet

An unprecedentedly wet season has pushed yields 30-40% below average this year for Limburg-based Teboza, one of the leading Dutch white asparagus growers. Teboza’s Will Teeuwen says it rained from late October to May (especially in the latter month), preventing the usual preparation for harvest and harvesting itself in many fields. He believes it was a similar situation elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium and the Rhineland region of Germany. On the positive side, the firm was able to market what it was able to harvest and the shortage pushed prices higher than last year, though not enough to offset the increased cost of farm inputs. Teeuwen says the outlook for next season is for yields about 20% below average, unless a very warm summer expedites the recovery of the waterlogged fields. “What we see now is the regrowth of the fields is not good,” he said. After five previous seasons dealing with overly dry weather and learning how to use water more efficiently, the firm is now studying why some of its fields fared better in terms of drainage and how to remove excess water more efficiently.