German asparagus harvest 20% smaller than last year

2010 is an unusual year for asparagus. This is the conclusion of the Bundesfachgruppe Gemüsebau im Zentralverband Gartenbau (ZVG), shortly before the traditional end of the asparagus season on 24th of June. The German asparagus crop is estimated at almost 800,000 tons. This is about 20% less than last year. The extra investments in order to advance the harvest have paid off this year.

Contrary to the average sale of fresh vegetables, of which 50% is sold via discounters, with asparagus the traditional market stalls and farm shops are still of more than average importance.

According to marketing organisation AMI imports from Greece, Spain and Morocco decreased this year, but the import from Peru increased. According to provisional estimates Germany imported about 25,000 tons of asparagus during 2009. For the first time Peru was the second most important supplier after Greece.