This year's asparagus season has been significantly impacted by excessive rainfall. "We had no problem with demand this season, but sourcing asparagus, especially towards the end of the season, proved to be a major challenge," says Marcel Goumans, who made his debut as Product Manager at ZON this year. "I've learned a great deal this season."
The scarcity has led to unprecedented high prices today. "Many growers have stopped supplying products, resulting in volumes too low to meet demand. This explains the high prices this week. At the same time, there are fewer customers for the product due to these high price levels and quality issues caused by the weather conditions. Even through our digital platform (auction), buyers purchase only what they need. There's always a limit," observes Marcel.
"This season, water has truly been the biggest adversary. It prevented people from accessing the fields on time or at all. The big question now is how much damage the plants have suffered and what this means for the volumes for the coming season. All in all, these are not glory days for asparagus growers. I'm very curious to see how this will evolve next season. If we have good weather from the start, the season could look completely different. It remains a natural product, after all."
For more information:
Marcel Goumans
ZON
Venrayseweg 102
5928 RH Venlo
Mob; +31 (0)6 41071951
[email protected]
www.royalzon.com