The executive director of the Peruvian Asparagus and Vegetables Institute (IPEH), Carlos Zamorano Macchiavello, said the consumption of asparagus in the U.S. should be promoted.
To do so, he noted, the country should work with asparagus producers from the United States, Mexico and Germany (among other countries). It is a strategy that should also be applied in Europe, he added.
In this regard, he noted, we should conduct an analysis of the states and time periods in which asparagus is less consumed. "Since Peru can produce this vegetable throughout the whole year, we could work on its promotion," he said.
The representative of IPEH said he believed that they should work more on branding by country instead of by individual companies, as U.S. consumers eat asparagus all year and don't know if it comes from Mexico or Peru.
He remembers that the IPEH had once attempted, and still hope to accomplish, establishing a federal fund to promote asparagus in the U.S. market. "I believe that the Peruvian asparagus, and not each company's brand, could benefit from a stronger promotion in the United States. A great example is the Peruvian Hass avocado industry, which has had an important development of promotion," he said.
Domestic market
Zamorano Macchiavello also spoke about the Peruvian market, where consumption of the vegetable is still low. "Encouraging the consumption of asparagus in Peru is a pending task, since there is no tradition of consuming this product. It's an issue that's still in the pipeline and I think it will be interesting to develop," he said.
In this regard, he stated, the growth of the middle class and the improvement of consumer indicators are interesting because asparagus is an expensive product, as it is usually export-oriented.
"We should consider this possibility when the Peruvian market pays a reasonable price and derive some portions," he said, noting that the sector could save on shipping costs by selling in Peru. "Selling here would be easier. All that would decrease the price in the local market," he concluded.
Source: agraria.pe
