Balance of asparagus cultivation Lower Saxony:
Warm month of May: Large yields and quality problems
"Due to relatively low temperatures early in the year, the asparagus harvest did not start until April - about two weeks later than last year," says Nils Kraushaar, asparagus cultivation consultant of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture. "But then temperatures rose sharply and they remained high in May, which is why a lot of asparagus came on the market in a short time - and the market was temporarily unable to absorb these quantities."
Always fresh goods for the consumer: A very warm month of May, very large yields in a short period of time and moderate prices have shaped the Lower Saxony asparagus season 2018. - Photo: LWK/Imke Voigtländer
With one-, two- and three-fold foil covers, the growers try to control the development of their plants so that the asparagus can be harvested over as many weeks as possible. "This did not work as well as usual this year because of the high temperatures," says Kraushaar. The heat within the beds in some places led to loss of quality. "The tips of shoots began to fan out in the earth, but Class One asparagus should have a closed head," explains the cultivation expert.
"Partly, the heat in the beds affected the asparagus so much that the stalks turned yellow, soft and unmarketable," said Kraushaar. Moreover, the drought in areas without irrigation led to a poorer development of the plants.
"Companies that sell their goods mainly through the wholesale market, encountered a difficult situation because of large quantities in a short time span," says Fred Eickhorst, CEO and Spokesman of the Association of Asparagus and Berry growers. The supply was often well above the demand. "And prices were accordingly consumer-friendly." After Whitsun, according to expert Kraushaar, some produce was taken out of production. At the end of the season, prices have stabilized.
Compared to the wholesale suppliers, the asparagus season was quite different for those companies that market the vegetables directly. "They are satisfied with their revenues," says Kraushaar. "Just before the holidays, sales went very well." In order to avoid the current price fluctuations, many asparagus farmers try to utilise both distribution channels.
Around 400 businesses in Lower Saxony rely on the cultivation of asparagus. Centres of Lower Saxony asparagus cultivation include the regions around Nienburg, Lüneburg, Uelzen and the Osnabrücker Land. According to the Statistics Office Hannover, in 2017 exactly 29,962 tons (2016: 26,465 tons, +13.2 percent) of the seasonal vegetables were harvested on around 5,200 hectares (2016: 4,929 hectares, + 5.2 percent). In addition, over 950 hectares of asparagus replanting were added last year. Kraushaar: "In the light of recent experiences, more and more companies are unsure whether they want to keep expanding."
Source: LWK Niedersachsen