Asparagus is a product with a high added value. It is mainly consumed in European countries for its nutritional properties and various health benefits. Despite not being a native product of America, it beginning to take root in Mexico's consumer culture and has the potential of being produced successfully and of responding to the needs of new markets for non-traditional products.
Globally, according to data from the FAO, there has been a virtually constant production volume growth trend as, from 2000 to 2016, it increased at an average annual rate of 5%, supported by yield increases of nearly 2% on average.
In 2016, the main producing countries of asparagus were China, which accounted for 88% of the world's volume, followed by Peru and Mexico with 4.3 and 2.5%, respectively.
Among the main producers, Mexico is the country that registers the highest dynamism in production, ranking as the second biggest exporter of fresh asparagus and getting closer to Peru, which has been the main exporting country in recent years.
In Mexico, the development of this crop has opportunities for growth due to the country's climatic conditions and the specialization of Mexican producers, which are indispensable factors for its development.
The main destinations are the United States, which accounted for 54.4% of the total volume of world imports (336,000 tons) in 2016, and Canada, with 6 percent. Other important destinations are Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Japan, and Switzerland, among other European countries.
In Mexico, asparagus production grew at an average annual rate of 16 percent in volume and 21.8% in its value of production between 2012 and 2016.
Mexico's trade balance records a surplus, and has grown 11% in the last 10 years. In 2016, it exported 65% of its production, mainly to the US market and in a smaller proportion (10%) to Canada. New markets are opening for the Mexican asparagus, such as Japan.
The production of asparagus is dynamic, both at the national and global levels. Production has been growing due to the increasing demand for gourmet products and the increased per capita consumption in countries like the US. Mexican producers are accepting the challenge of increasing their yields and generating a product with the best quality standards, applying good production practices, and the specialization of their cultivation techniques.
Source: eleconomista.com.mx