Asparagus is not promoted enough - they are not marketed well and are practically absent from the mass media - which is a pity, because Italy is a big producer and its produce is much appreciated in Europe.
"Italy consumes only 2.3 kg per capita a year, i.e. just 0.52% of vegetable purchases. Families spend only €11 on asparagus. From a production point of view, Italy grows asparagus on 5,500 hectares and is the 9th largest producer worldwide. The leading producers are China, Peru and Mexico."
"In Europe, we occupy the third place after Germany and Spain. 50% of the crops are located in Puglia, followed by Veneto and Campania. Yields were lower than average in 2016, so prices increased. Production seems to have settled in the past two years."
The asparagus penetration rate is low (38%), especially if compared to potatoes (98%). The only vegetables to have similar performances are cabbages, peas and fresh beans.
"At the beginning of the 2016 season, quantities were limited and quotations were rather interesting, they only dropped a little in late April. Sales were lively thanks to the good demand. Regular harvesting enabled a good positioning of the produce right to the end of the campaign. There were no supply peaks and yields were lower than 2015."
Italian asparagus is a seasonal product. Production, exports and imports only take place between April and June. Exports have increased in the past few years.
One of the discussions focused on flame weeding. Crops must be free from weeds to make harvesting easier. Flame weeding is a good alternative to herbicides. It can be employed during three phases - harvesting, free vegetation and at the end of the cycle.
Officine Mingozzi have developed a flame weeding system that is both effective and safe. During harvesting, the treatment can be carried out repeatedly using the PRT-C machine. Parameters were tested to enable effective results while safeguarding shoots. The best compromise was obtained with a 5 km/h speed with a 0.8 bar pressure.
The machine used during tests was equipped with two GPL tanks. The flame operates at the base of asparagus plants, which are quite resistant to heat, thus eliminating weeds.