Although the area grows a bit each year, this expansion is considerable in the long run. That’s the story behind the Belgian asparagus area. Production increases because of an annually growing area. On the one hand, that’s taken care of by the early start of the season, but on the other hand, asparagus is becoming a hip vegetable again, and interest in the white gold is increasing among young people.
The national area shows a slight increase each year. In five years, the area grew by approximately 100 hectares. For the current season, that increase can mostly be found at auction BelOrta, which saw its area increase by several per cent. “BelOrta’s the largest auction for asparagus,” says Katrien de Backer from Lava. “Their area increases slightly every year.” Combined, the Belgian auctions market about 500 hectares of asparagus each year.
Increasing area
“Asparagus is still very much a prime vegetable,” Katrien continues. “Consumers look forward to the start of the season.” Growers are investing in order to have product available early in the season. “In recent years, spring has been cold, and Easter was early. Growers then want product available early in the season. That’s why they’ve invested in heated cultivation and tunnels.” Asparagus from greenhouses start the season in February. The protected cultivation follows in March or April. “Everything was on the market earlier this season, thanks to a very light season. Normally, the first outdoor asparagus arrive on the market mid-April, but this year, they emerged late-March.”
“This year, the area of protected cultivation and in tunnels is higher than in previous years,” Katrien explains. The reasons for this can be found in the good prices early in the season in recent years. Because of that, more growers want to be on the market early. The ending of the season isn’t tampered with, that’s still in late June. To be precise, it’s on 24 June, on the day of Saint John the Baptist. “The plants need a certain resting period, or the growers will lose quality and sorting in the following years,” Katrien explains this strict deadline.
Good production start
Katrien exemplifies this with figures from week 11. Belgian auctions received 25 more tonnes than in that same week the year before. The light weather had a positive effect on production of asparagus, but consumption still had to pick up. “Because of this, prices were much lower than in previous years,” Katrien says. “Easter is a milestone in Belgium, asparagus have to be on menus by then. Considering Easter was later in the season this year, the higher prices failed to occur in March.”
Despite the focus on the early season, the production peak is still in May. Traditionally, supply in week 14 and 15 is 100 tonnes per week. The two weeks after that, supply increases to between 150 and 200 tonnes. The peak weeks are in May, when supply reaches between 200 and 250 tonnes per week. “Top supply encourages top consumption. Thanks to various holidays and the Communion period, asparagus can’t be kept from the menu when there’s pleasant spring weather.” From week 22, production starts decreasing, and will amount to 50 to 100 tonnes per week before the end of the season in weeks 24 and 25.
Hip vegetable
The white asparagus set the tone on the market. About 95 per cent of Flandria production is white asparagus. The remaining five per cent is green asparagus. “Its ‘presence’ is very elegant, and the green asparagus is a bit sweeter than the white ones as well.”
“We’ve seen interest in asparagus increasing,” Katrien says. “Consumption is increasing not just among older, but also among younger people. It’s a hip vegetable.” That increasing interest is partially thanks to the various ways in which asparagus are used in recipes. Traditionally, the asparagus is served with ham and eggs. However, the ‘white gold’ is increasingly used in wok and stir-fry recipes. “That appeals to the younger generation,” Katrien says. She adds another recipe tip: “Healthy fast food, cook thin slanting slices of asparagus in olive oil for a bit, add salt and pepper, cook pasta and scampi, mix it all together and add a dash of cream. This will bring out the pure flavour of the asparagus.”
This trend is partly thanks to the supply of peeled asparagus. Although these aren’t sold at auction, supply of the peeled variant is increasing. The market for asparagus sold at auction can be split into two practically similar parts. Half is packed, usually in dishes of 500 grammes (In smaller numbers, the traditional bushels), with 8 pieces per box, and the remainder is sold loose per 5 kilogram in a box. “The packed asparagus mostly remain on the domestic market. That is about 90 per cent. The loose asparagus are mostly sold to the catering industry, or they are exported.” The restaurants prefer sizes 22 and higher. Supermarkets would rather see sizes 16 and higher on the shelves.
Export is attractive at all times during the season for Belgian traders, if auction prices are competitive. Especially the German and French markets buy the asparagus. “The French market is mostly familiar with the green asparagus, but they also have a market for the white and blue asparagus.” With these, Katrien means the white asparagus that have ‘seen the light,’ so that the head turned pink/blue. “In short, it’s a proper seasonal vegetable, so enjoy them while they’re available. Low in calories, rich in vitamins, incredibly healthy and delicious.”
More information:
LAVA
Katrien de Backer