Good quality but a below average amount, this year’s asparagus were seriously influenced by the weather. The frost limited the green asparagus growth and the rain complicated harvesting.
On June 22 Walter Pfister and his team cut the last asparagus. For the workers at the Jucker Farm in Seegräben (canton Zurich) this concluded the asparagus season. A season full of rain that was very demanding. “The harvest proved troublesome and caused additional expense, because we had to pump out the water that accumulated between the asparagus dams," says Pfister. The farmer is worried because the soaked and flooded soil isn’t permeable for air. “We don’t now how this will affect the asparagus crop in the medium and long term.”
Photo: White asparagus are protected from the frost, because they grow in the earth. While green asparagus grow above the soil.
Source: LID
The bad weather had a stronger influence on green asparagus than on the white, states Pfister. The cold nights in late April and before Pentecost damaged the green asparagus. “That destroyed a week’s harvest,” explains Pfister. He estimates the total loss due to the frost at about 20%.
Although the rather mild-cool temperatures in spring slowed the growth, according to Pfister it did have a positive effect on the asparagus quality.
Photo: The harvest of white asparagus is labor intensive. Source: LID
Lower yield than expected
The harvest remained below expectations for Jürg Weber, CEO of Landi Hüttwilen, who sells the asparagus all over Switzerland. He expects a reduced yield of about 20%. However the differences are very different regionally, emphasizes Weber. The late frost at the end of April damaged the green asparagus and they weren’t available for the market for another 10 days. Larger quantities of green asparagus were again available in late May. “That isn’t ideal because the consumers’ desire for asparagus slowly decreases at the end of May,” explains Weber.
The lower yield hasn’t caused an increase in the prices according to Weber. “We always try to set one price for the entire season.” Anyway, the possibility to raise the prices is small, Weber points out. You cannot increase the prices without limit, without running the risk that consumers will buy the cheaper imported asparagus.
Landi manager Weber is satisfied with the asparagus quality, "It was a very good year for quality asparagus, from the first to the last day - despite the bad weather. And we didn’t expect that."
Midsummer Day is the end
Traditionally the asparagus harvest ends on Midsummer Day, June 24. This gives the plants enough time to gather their strength for the coming year. After the last asparagus is cut it forms a green bush. The photosynthesis in this bush fuels the asparagus with energy, which is used for the next year’s asparagus.
Photo: The late frost during spring nights couldn’t harm the white asparagus. Source: LID