“Homogeneous green asparagus production in a balanced market”

Two months after the start of the green asparagus season, Philippe Jean takes stock of the current campaign. "We started at the beginning of February with fairly low volumes. There were no major heat spikes, so there were no production peaks. We have now reached a plateau in terms of production, and I do not think we will suddenly get large volumes." The campaign is therefore much more homogeneous than last year. "The previous season started a little earlier, but cold spells had slowed down the harvest. The start of the campaign was relatively heterogeneous and stabilized thereafter. This year, production is much more regular. So far, we have even sold more volumes than over the same period last year."

Good prices for a well-balanced market
In terms of value, prices are said to be "fair", or at least in line with the market configuration. "Some clients promote asparagus well, while others are more reluctant to offer them at the current price. Asparagus are an exceptional product, a marker of seasonality, and the retail price must be appropriate for the households who want to buy some."

Demand exceeded supply at Easter
The season has been "rather positive", with a "well-balanced" market, despite some concerns linked to the Easter celebrations falling a little early this year: "Unsurprisingly, asparagus were on the menu for Easter. Demand even outstripped the supply. With another 2 months left in the campaign, we really hope that consumption will hold until June. I am confident because some great promotional actions are planned in the stores and we already have some requests from our clients, which shows that the product is well established among French consumers."