Supplies of asparagus out of Peru looked steady last month and continue to look so throughout November.
Jorge Bastidas of Alpine Fresh in Miami, FL, notes that supplies in Peru are transitioning from the south of Peru to the north of the country. In addition to Peruvian supplies, asparagus is also coming from Northwest Mexico. “Though supplies this year compared to last year have been lower out of Mexico and higher out of Peru,” says Bastidas.
What seems to be behind the company now though are some key concerns that developed at the beginning of the pandemic. “The main difficulties then were the new procedures that we implemented due to social distancing on the farms, packing sheds and transportation,” says Bastidas. “Also, the lack of air space presented some challenges because Peru had stopped some international passenger flights.”
Expanding organic supplies
Along with moving past those challenges, what also looks positive for Alpine Fresh, a shipper and marketer of multiple commodities, is its future in organics. The company has been increasing its organic asparagus production this year and expects to have organic supplies next year for all 52 weeks. “Our Hippie Organic brand is performing very well with consumers and we are excited about the future of organics,” says Bastidas.
As for demand, Bastidas notes that Alpine has seen a decrease in the demand in foodservice and an increase in retail sales. “The market has been very similar to last year for Thanksgiving,” he says.
Looking ahead though, Bastidas notes it is expecting slightly more volume out of Peru this year. “But one of the main unknowns is understanding consumption patterns in the food service sector and retail. We’ll also see how sensitive consumers will be to prices next year,” says Bastidas.
For more information:
Ashley Yager
Alpine Fresh, Inc.
Tel: +1 (305) 594-9117
ayager@alpinefresh.com
www.alpinefresh.com