“Rising asparagus prices because of cold and Mother’s Day”

The asparagus market is making some remarkable moves this season. “It’s a very odd season. At first, the asparagus was dirt cheap, the market even collapsed before Easter, and right now they’re very expensive again,” says Pierre Smets from P. Smets in Geleen, the Netherlands. “Last Friday, the kilogram prices for double-A asparagus Extra White was more than 8 euro, while prices were around 6 euro the day before. Mother’s Day might be causing some additional demand, but right now, mothers have to pay a lot for the vegetable.”

“It can all be explained by the cold weather. The asparagus isn’t growing, and supply is limited because of that. Prices will probably decrease again this week,” expects the manager of the wholesaler’s, which has been active in Geleen since the 1930s. With a large clientele consisting of retailers and street trade, the asparagus is an important product for the company every year. The wholesaler buys the asparagus from the auctions of ZON and The Greenery.

P. Smets’s clientele consists of retailers, catering suppliers, street traders, and, increasingly, Turkish customers and farm shops. The customers are located in a 100-kilometre radius around Geleen and consist of 60 per cent Dutch, 30 per cent Belgian and 10 per cent German customers.

For more information:
P. Smets & Zn.
Hofdwarsweg 11
6161 DE Geleen
Tel: +31 (0)46 474 23 81
Fax: +31 (0)46 475 73 23
info@psmets.nl
www.psmets.nl