Maïsadour on the lookout for new growers

“Attracting new growers means ensuring a promising future for asparagus production”

As the asparagus season gets underway in the Landes region of France, Maïsadour is launching a recruitment campaign to find new growers. The southwestern cooperative, which produces almost 1,500 tons of green and white asparagus on 315 ha, intends to perpetuate this « local crop that offers a stable outlet » for the current 28 producers.

« Ensuring a promising future »
« Today, the challenge is not to develop the sector, but to maintain a qualitative production in the region, » explains Lucie Gemain, fresh vegetables manager at Maïsadour. « But the crop is well established in the region, and the support provided by VEGA*Maïsadour advisors helps to overcome these obstacles. Growers can ensure a good harvest with a small surface area, and once the technique is mastered, asparagus production can be very exciting.

Attracting new growers will ensure a promising future for asparagus cultivation in the Landes, while preserving the region’s exceptional gastronomic heritage. »

France is the 4th largest producer of asparagus in Europe. On average, French people eat 630g of asparagus per household per year.

Asparagus cultivation: a profitable economic pillar for producers
For the past fifteen years, Maïsadour has been developing a 100% local asparagus production chain (green and white asparagus certified PGI ‘Asperges des Sables des Landes’ or Global Gap). In partnership with Priméale, Maïsadour aims to « ensure the sustainability of local production while offering stable outlets for producers. The asparagus sector remains one of the most profitable crops in the area, accounting for 36% of the area cultivated in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. »

© PGI Sables des Landes Asparagus