The asparagus is a seasonal fresh vegetable that enters the Chinese market in spring. This time of year is the peak of the asparagus sales season. The asparagus available on the Chinese market mainly comes from Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui. The weather conditions were excellent for asparagus plantation this year. The overall production volume expanded in comparison with previous years and the product quality is not bad either.
The outbreak of the corona virus had an impact on asparagus sales this year. The price of asparagus is 0.5-1.0 yuan [0.07-0.14 USD] per 0.5 kg lower than around this time last year. The product quality is high and the price is reasonable.
The flavor of asparagus is the best in spring. The asparagus requires a 'rest' during the seedling stage, which means that most asparagus currently available survived the winter in greenhouses. The impact of plant diseases and insect pests is relatively small in greenhouses. Some of the asparagus production areas that currently supply the market will let their plants 'rest' in late April and early May, which is when the open-field asparagus from Henan and Xuzhou in Jiangsu will enter the market.
Source: Jinri Toutiao