Asparagus sales surged again last week in the lead-up to Easter. "We started the week with decent volumes, and early on, I found the prices somewhat disappointing. But later in the week, it seemed like everyone in the Netherlands wanted to eat asparagus again, which drove prices up. By Friday, we saw a very strong auction price, with levels exceeding 10 euros," says Rick Mengers, asparagus buyer at ZON.
© ZON
© ZON
He is also optimistic about the coming weeks. "Retail demand is strong enough. The first fields of heated asparagus are tapering off now, and the later varieties are starting to come into production, so hopefully supply and demand will stay in balance," Rick continues. "Quality-wise, the season is also going well. We've had at least half the number of complaints compared to last year, and especially the rust issue is significantly less severe this season, which is encouraging."
Overall, lower production in north-western Europe is resulting in reduced market supply. "For example, volumes are still slightly down compared to last year due to fields that have been cleared or are not delivering expected yields. We see this not only in the Netherlands, but also in Germany and France. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for instance, acreage has declined considerably, which is increasing interest in our asparagus. As a result, prices generally remain at a higher level," Rick explains.
At ZON, the asparagus acreage this year is about the same as last year. "What's noticeable is that people are increasingly looking at alternatives in other grades. In the past, the focus was mainly on Double A white, but now other grades are becoming more popular as well," Rick says. "Also, this year, the stems are significantly thicker than usual."
For more information:
Rick Mengers
ZON
Tel: + 31 (0) 77 323 95 40
rick.mengers@royalzon.com
www.royalzon.com