Complejo Agroindustrial Beta expects to produce around 15 million kilos of asparagus this year, 75% of which will be exported, both fresh and frozen. This year, the company plans to ship 10 million kilos of fresh asparagus (2 million boxes), mainly to the European Union and England.
The firm currently has 1,200 hectares of asparagus, said its general manager, Lionel Arce Orbegozo, and in the last three years, it has eliminated a similar area of old asparagus crops. Likewise, it has been installing new areas of asparagus in Lambayeque. The company no longer installs them in the south (Ica) because of the water scarcity there is in the region. He also said that they were planting 250 hectares of asparagus this year and plan to plant another 250 hectares next year.
“Beta is always present in asparagus. We believe it continues to be an important crop,” said the general manager, who added that the repeal of the Agrarian Promotion Law (Law No. 27360) which was replaced by Law No. 31110 greatly affected the country's asparagus industry.
"The National Labor Council didn't carry out a technical analysis of the Special Bonus for Agrarian Work (BETA), which is equivalent to 30% of the Minimum Life Remuneration (stipulated by Law No. 31110). That did a lot of damage to the sector and generated the elimination of many areas of asparagus, especially in Ica, which resulted in job losses," he stated.
Source: agraria.pe