There is asparagus production becoming available from new regions, including Ica, which is in southern Peru. "This is much needed for the industry after a very scarce month of limited supply in August," says Tim Ryan Jr., VP of Sales for Square One Farms, LLC. "Mexico's Baja California season will also start in September. Overall, we expect a healthy balance of supply vs. demand to start the fall season."
Aside from August, to date this year, there has been an increase in the total volume of imported asparagus from Peru and Mexico into the U.S., and that's expected to continue for the rest of the year, barring any unforeseen weather events.
In Peru, the season is starting as expected. "As long as the yields remain strong and the weather remains ideal, asparagus should have a good run through the end of the year," says Ryan Jr., noting that both the north and south of Peru are currently active with ideal weather conditions.
© Square One Farms
Shifting regions in Mexico
Meanwhile, in Mexico, production in Guanajuato/central Mexico has ended ahead of harvest starting next month in Baja California. "Strong storms can still occur at this time of year, but so far, we haven't seen any major impacts," he says.
As for demand, there have been fewer promotions recently, which in turn has resulted in lower overall consumption–something that's expected during the summer season. That said, with families back in school and cooler months ahead, demand should pick up again.
All of this has left pricing at all-time highs for August. "Over the coming weeks, we should see a return to more historical pricing levels, with opportunities to promote by late September/October and for Thanksgiving. The increase in production and availability should ease pressure on the markets," says Ryan Jr.
Moving into the Peruvian season, growers and shippers also remain concerned about logistics. "Though it has improved significantly from two to three years ago, import logistics can have unexpected hiccups, and with heavier traffic as major retailers get ready for holiday shopping of every commodity, ports can get bogged down, which slows down everything," he says.
For more information:
Tim Ryan Jr
Square One Farms, LLC
Tel: +1 (561) 614-2815
http://www.sq1farms.com/
