"I am very satisfied," says Dietrich Paul, head of the asparagus farmers' association in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). Lower Saxony has 25,000 hectares of asparagus farms, almost a quarter of Germany's asparagus farming ground and a leading position when it comes to "white gold". Although Paul mentions the cold April, which delayed the seasons start, especially compared to the record start of the previous year (2014), the asparagus trade has almost never begun this early.
"But in May everything started moving," said Paul. Whether, despite the later start, the amount of the previous year's yield can be exceeded will only be clear on Midsummer’s day, 24th of June. On that day traditionally the season ends. "But I am confident that things will go well when the temperatures aren't too low," says Paul.
The minimum wage is a cause for concern for asparagus farmers. This year the industry-specific lower limit in agriculture is 7.40 Euro per hour (East: 7.20 Euro). "It does not matter what is agreed at the harvest time," said Paul.
The bureaucracy and recordkeeping is enormous and uses a lot of resources. The minimum wages in sales or logistics influence the asparagus business too. "About 50 percent of the expenses are personnel cost," he says. At least other parts that make up the total cost, such as fertilizer and fuel, remain stable.