"After a hesitant start to the asparagus season due to cold days and nights, we have now had a few weeks of sunny weather, and the appetite for asparagus has grown alongside the temperatures," says Simon Schumacher, spokesperson for the Association of South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers (VSSE), halfway through the asparagus season.
Supply and demand in balance
"So far, the asparagus season has been uneventful. Demand and sales have been quite good. There has been hardly any overproduction. Now the early asparagus crops are coming to an end and the late crops are getting off to a very active start, so that the second half of the season is now gaining momentum," explains BDSE asparagus consultant Dr. Ludger Aldenhoff.
Ralf Große Dankbar, asparagus cultivation consultant in North Rhine-Westphalia, agrees: "The asparagus season in the north has been good so far. Due to the cold nights, yields have not been too high, so there has been no oversupply. Supply and demand are well-balanced. In direct marketing, demand for asparagus has been good so far, and very satisfactory on May 1 and Mother's Day (May 11). On Asparagus Day, there were many promotions featuring German asparagus, which were well received by consumers."
Claudio Gläßer, horticultural market analyst at Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH (AMI), sums up the situation as follows: "Given the general economic situation in Germany, the asparagus season has been better than often expected so far. Overall, asparagus volumes are selling well. Due to the hesitant development of supply as a result of the weather, prices were initially at a slightly higher level than last year. Despite generally rising production costs, this picture has recently reversed, and average consumer prices have continued to fall. This results in attractive purchasing opportunities from the consumer's standpoint."
More than 70 per cent of German consumers like asparagus
Asparagus remains a very popular vegetable in Germany, according to a YouGov survey. However, this noble vegetable is more popular among the 45+ age group. Only 59 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds are asparagus fans. From the age of 35 onwards, the respondents' love of asparagus increases.
For more information:
www.vsse.de