The El Niño phenomenon has had a significant impact on the Peruvian asparagus production. High temperatures and lack of moisture in the soil have affected the quality of this vegetable, resulting in smaller sizes than usual. "The excessive heat recorded in recent months has affected the calibre of our asparagus. We also expect a drop in the production of about 30% compared to last year," say producers and exporters.
"This change in the usual calibres is forcing us to focus on countries that prefer those 'large' calibres, such as Spain, the UK, China, etc. Moreover, with the opening of the Chinese market for Peruvian asparagus, the production of these calibres could give us an advantage, but not all companies have yet achieved the necessary phytosanitary requirements," affirms the sources.
Also, the months with the highest demand for this Peruvian vegetable are around the corner, so producers are working hard to get ready. "The months of June, July and August are critical for us, because Peru is the only country producing asparagus in this period. Prices are going to shoot up, and given that the production has fallen, we need to find solutions with producers, and some customers will have to accept different calibres than they are used to," conclude the associated exporters.