Asparagus supplies are tight currently as the seasons proceed through a transitional period. Peru volume is only just starting and won't really get going for another few weeks yet, while the Mexican growing regions have been hit hard by rain. Suppliers are not expecting any improvement on this until Peruvian arrivals increase in volume.
"At the moment, it's a bit of a tight situation," said John Bishop of Fresh Start Foods. "The late winter, early spring crop has started in Peru but we are not expecting more substantial volume from there for another three to four weeks. Heavy rains have hit the crop in Mexico and they have been unable to supply what is already a soft market with weak demand. We expect that volume will pick up soon from Peru and we will then see good supplies again."
Prices rise after summer demand slump
With the tightening of supply, asparagus prices are climbing. This is despite a time of the year when demand slows. Typically, during the spring and early summer, consumers are eager to enjoy the local asparagus deals. And this year they were greeted with excellent supply at times from many of those local regions.
"Prices have shot up over this past week," Bishop noted. "Overall, we expect the market to remain strong for the next two to three weeks. Once the Peruvian volume kicks in, prices should start to ease again. We saw a lot of local deals through the early part of summer as the season progressed up from Baja to California, Washington, Michigan, Ontario and so forth."
Bishop added that consumer demand is low right now as attention turns to other vegetables now that these local regions finish up. "For the most part, consumers have had their fill of asparagus and are now looking at other vegetables," he observed. "It won't be until November and December that we will see strong demand return as restaurants and other foodservice operators look to brighten up their dishes during the Holiday seasons. By then, the Peruvian season will be in full stride and supplies should be sufficient to meet that demand."
Positive Peru season expected
At this stage, indications are that the Peruvian asparagus crop is looking healthy and abundant, devoid of any issues that might cause supply problems. This is good news for Fresh Start Foods, who supply much of their fresh produce to foodservice companies alongside retailers across Canada.
"From what our growers in Peru are saying, the preliminary outlook for the crop is looking good," Bishop shared. "There are no issues weather-wise and volume and quality are expected to be very good. We are looking forward to another good Peruvian season in order to supply our customers with wonderful asparagus."
For more information:
John Bishop
Fresh Start Foods
Tel: +1 (905) 875-5216