North Rhine-Westphalia: normal asparagus season

This year's asparagus season in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) ended yesterday, Wednesday 24th June. After the record season in 2014, cooler temperatures and the minimum wages defined this year. Ralf Große Dankbar, asparagus cultivation consultant of the Chamber of Agriculture NRW concludes: "Overall, the farmers can be satisfied, the 2015 season was quite normal for an asparagus season."

The cooler temperatures this year have led to a slightly lower yield, stated Ralf Große Dankbar. "The green asparagus harvest was lower than previous years. The cool temperatures have a greater effect on green asparagus than on white asparagus," states Große Dankbar, "especially as the cooler temperatures during the nights influence the growth." White asparagus keeps warmer while they grow underground; the green asparagus grow above ground.

"In my view the white asparagus season was quite normal," states Große Dankbar. "The duration of the season was average and the revenue is a little below the annual average." The quality of the asparagus was very good this season. "The stable temperatures were advantageous for the white asparagus. We had no extreme weather or heat waves that could have harmed the asparagus. And the supply and demand were fairly balanced."

Ralf Große Dankbar explained further: "The prices at the beginning of the season were extremely stable. This stable situation continued almost longer than in previous seasons. And we are extremely satisfied with the direct marketing."

"The legal minimum wage presented a major obstacle this year," said the asparagus consultant Große Dankbar, "The farmers had to take into account the increased production costs. The minimum wage amount was not the most important factor, but rather the extra effort to meet the required conditions, such as the documentation the farms have to keep."

A detailed assessment of the 2015 season will follow in the coming weeks. "Currently we can not give exact figures," claims Ralf Große Dankbar, "and detailed breakdown of the total revenue and costs still has to be made. We have to wait a couple of weeks."

Ralf Große Dankbar