Market Update: Asparagus
Demand for asparagus has exceeded supply for the past 3 weeks, mainly due to cold weather in the production region in Northern Mexico. We spoke with James Paul, Domestic Salesman for Altar Produce & Director of Marketing for Greg Paul Produce Sales, about the current status of the asparagus market. According to Mr. Paul, there were some very cold storms to move through the area, as well as some freeze damage. Asparagus freeze has a major impact on the production for a few days, however does no long term damage. Open Market pricing has been in the $36-$42 range for the past 3 weeks with previous commitments on Ad at a range of $30.75 to $34.75. This is all on 28# boxes. Mr. Paul also mentioned that quality has been very strong; the cooler temperatures allows the asparagus to grow with more consistency therefore giving it ultimately more vitality and shelf life. Mexican supplies are due to finish around the middle to end of March. California supplies will be coming into production beginning this week, and continuing on into May. The overall acreage this season for California is very low and continues to fall each year. Mr. Paul's estimate for this season is 7,000 acres of product across the entire state.
