With the green asparagus harvest in full swing, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Granada is working intensely hand in hand with this sector in order to obtain the best results for cooperatives and producers. The development of both the production and the market conditions is being monitored, and the consumption of this vegetable is being promoted nationally and internationally. The crop is cultivated by specialists from Granada, which is the Spanish province with the largest green asparagus production.
Experience and deep knowledge about this crop are combined to obtain a green asparagus of the highest quality, highly appreciated in the European market, where Granada-based cooperatives sell 70 percent of their production.
"The weather conditions have so far been favorable. We are having a very good campaign, with the harvest of a fresh, tender product that has the expected flavor for one grown in our area's conditions, as well as very well defined organoleptic qualities," said Antonio Francisco Zamora, representative of the asparagus sector of the provincial Federation, who also presides over the cooperative Centro Sur (Huétor Tájar).
Green asparagus is gaining ground on the white one in Europe. The Granada-based cooperatives have championed this Spanish product and want it to become a hit in the EU. They have the support of a distribution channel that appreciates the professionalism in the supply and the product's ideal growing conditions.
To this end, the provincial federation, together with the cooperatives Centro Sur, Cosafra, Los Gallombares, Granagenil, Hortovilla, San Isidro, Los Fresnos and Espárrago de Granada, which brings Vegachauchina, Agroláchar, Espafrón, Agromesía and Espalorquiana together, are organizing a promotional campaign for green asparagus to highlight the benefits of this excellent product and give it a boost in the international market.
"At the Federation, we are working with all the cooperatives to achieve two fundamental goals: on the one hand, to keep the supply under control in order to prevent situations of market saturation, and on the other hand, to promote the importance of making this highly nutritious asparagus a part of our diet," explained the representative of the sector.
Although it is true that the entry into production of countries such as Germany and Italy has led to some marketing problems in recent weeks, "after a few days of hard work, we have been able to overcome this situation satisfactorily," says Zamora.
A month before the end of the campaign, the sector continues to produce an asparagus of excellent quality, while recommending the consumption of this product, which arrives fresh every day to the table of thousands of consumers. They benefit from improved vitality thanks to the vitamins, calcium, fiber, antioxidants and natural diuretic components that asparagus contains. Green asparagus also stands out for its versatility in the kitchen, with recipes ranging from the most traditional to the most innovative.